Car Damaged at Newark Airport Off-Site Parking Lot - options? (Elizabeth: insurance, credit)
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Hi there - happy holidays all! I'm looking for some advice / thoughts.
I had last week returned from a trip and found our jeep damaged in the offsite airport parking lot. When we pulled up in the shuttle, we had been greeted with the manager bagging the window. There is a large dent in the back passenger side panel above the wheel well but no impact mark and no scratches indicating a direct hit and run. The passenger side back window was also shattered and blown throughout the car, in a mixture of glass/snow/ice. Much of the snow/glass mixture was found diagonally from the broken window and on the drivers side... on the seat, crammed in the far corner on top of the dash indicating that the snow/glass was forced into the car with a good deal of momentum. We took photos, one that shows that a snow plow mark had at some point come about 3 ft away from the car on that side. Logically all this supports that a plow caused this damage, barrelling past and damaging the car with the snow coming off the blade rather than a direct hit. Of course, the lot management denies any involvement and we were met with defensiveness to obviously displace blame. Not shockingly, they also say there are no cameras in the lot other than at the entrance/exit either. I filled out a claim form and as you could have guessed, no call or response to my emails yet from them. Even worse, they said they also couldn't give me a refund on the parking fee because I had prepaid using a Groupon (they instead gave me 2 free parking passes for the future - seriously?), and then had the nerve to ask me for $4 on the way out of the lot for the port authority fee!! Thanks alot, right? Happy holidays to you & bend over.
$1300 worth of damage. Do I have a case to bring this to small claims court if they fail to respond and/or cover anything? I wouldn't bother if I wasn't 100% sure they caused this damage, I'd just be wasting my time otherwise - but I hate to see them get away with it and would like to recover my deductible and the parking fee that I paid them to damage my car, if I can't get that credited back from groupon.
Hi there - happy holidays all! I'm looking for some advice / thoughts.
I had last week returned from a trip and found our jeep damaged in the offsite airport parking lot. When we pulled up in the shuttle, we had been greeted with the manager bagging the window. There is a large dent in the back passenger side panel above the wheel well but no impact mark and no scratches indicating a direct hit and run. The passenger side back window was also shattered and blown throughout the car, in a mixture of glass/snow/ice. Much of the snow/glass mixture was found diagonally from the broken window and on the drivers side... on the seat, crammed in the far corner on top of the dash indicating that the snow/glass was forced into the car with a good deal of momentum. We took photos, one that shows that a snow plow mark had at some point come about 3 ft away from the car on that side. Logically all this supports that a plow caused this damage, barrelling past and damaging the car with the snow coming off the blade rather than a direct hit. Of course, the lot management denies any involvement and we were met with defensiveness to obviously displace blame. Not shockingly, they also say there are no cameras in the lot other than at the entrance/exit either. I filled out a claim form and as you could have guessed, no call or response to my emails yet from them. Even worse, they said they also couldn't give me a refund on the parking fee because I had prepaid using a Groupon (they instead gave me 2 free parking passes for the future - seriously?), and then had the nerve to ask me for $4 on the way out of the lot for the port authority fee!! Thanks alot, right? Happy holidays to you & bend over.
$1300 worth of damage. Do I have a case to bring this to small claims court if they fail to respond and/or cover anything? I wouldn't bother if I wasn't 100% sure they caused this damage, I'd just be wasting my time otherwise - but I hate to see them get away with it and would like to recover my deductible and the parking fee that I paid them to damage my car, if I can't get that credited back from groupon.
Thanks!
Just put a claim with your insurance co. and hope for the best. Maybe small claims for your decuctable.?
Lesson learned next time take a limo to and from the airport.
After reading so many times about cars stolen or damaged at airport parking I always used a car service.
Just think about where you are leaving your car. Newark or Elizabeth, The center of stolen cars in NJ
Yea - insurance already looked at it and gave me the 1300 estimate less the $500 deductible. So if I'm going after them, definitely for the deductible and the parking fee. I just don't want them to think ignoring me is going to make this go away .... if there was any doubt, I wouldn't even bother.
Always in the past parked at the airport with no problem but no longer. Definitely splurging for the limo next time, would ultimately cost less.
Yea - insurance already looked at it and gave me the 1300 estimate less the $500 deductible. So if I'm going after them, definitely for the deductible and the parking fee. I just don't want them to think ignoring me is going to make this go away .... if there was any doubt, I wouldn't even bother.
Always in the past parked at the airport with no problem but no longer. Definitely splurging for the limo next time, would ultimately cost less.
did you park at a Newark airport lot or a third party lot nearby? I always park in the long term parking (that parking structure I believe is p4) and haven't had any issues. its not cheap.
We didn't sign any papers. I didn't notice but I'm sure the ticket likely says park at your own risk, which would be understandable if they hadn't caused the damage
It was an off-site third party lot unfortunately, Newark Liberty Parking
Do you have the papers you signed with them? Is there any disclaimer about not being responsible for damage?
Those disclaimers are essentially meaningless, as their customers leave their valuable cars in their possession, in exchange for a hefty fee. Hence, the parking lot is liable for damage to your car while it was in their possession.
Collecting from them may be...difficult...but the OP should not be dissuaded by that disclaimer statement, as it is put there simply to prevent you from even attempting to collect damages from them. If you persist, you can collect from them.
If so, call your insurance and told them what happened and they will take care of the repair, and they will try to get money from the parking lot for you, you shouldn't have to do anything. Maybe just pay for deductible at first.
Yea - insurance already looked at it and gave me the 1300 estimate less the $500 deductible. So if I'm going after them, definitely for the deductible and the parking fee. I just don't want them to think ignoring me is going to make this go away .... if there was any doubt, I wouldn't even bother.
Always in the past parked at the airport with no problem but no longer. Definitely splurging for the limo next time, would ultimately cost less.
You should ask your insurance company to subrogate against them. They will fight for you and then it won't cost you anything (you'll just have to wait to get your deductible back).
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Thanks alot, right? Happy holidays to you & bend over. 
