Car Damage Compensation by Condo Management?
So this past weekend we were at a downtown condo across from the Stampede Grounds visiting a friend's new place there. We get a visitor spot in the underground parkade and use the buzzer code to gain entry. I was riding shotgun at the time. The keypad is set into a brick decorative stand about 2'x1'x4' high, pretty narrow as the backside is where exit traffic coming up would go.
On our way out that night, as we travel up the exit ramp a police cruiser was blocking that side. So naturally we travel slowly up the ramp on the correct side, check for traffic and cut into the "entry" side to drive past the officer. Driving past the officer we make eye contact and he doesn't say anything.
As we pass the cruiser, we start to cut back into the correct side of traffic when suddenly we hear a loud crunch! Eardrum-exploding scraping sounds ensued momentarily.
Of course we stop immediately and I try to open the door, but there's extra resistance so I stopped. The officer tells us to keep the car stopped and I poke my head out the window......
Someone had absolutely demolished the brick keypad stand in a hit and run (hence why the officer was there), and our car had turned at just the right angle directly into it --> Wedging the biggest block of bricks btwn the wheel and the passenger rocker panel/side skirt.
From the way we were coming up and the height of the debris, there was no hope of seeing what was there. Being at the top of a hill it was a natural blind spot. NO pylons or traffic aversion by the security guards were done! The only thing was the cruiser parked several meters behind on the ramp side (which IMO didn't do much). The security guard argued that that thing was always there but being visitors for the first time and rarely having to go into underground parkades like this, I did not find that a valid argument. There was never a big-ass pile of brick debris there before either.
We steer the other way and backup. At this point, it looks like it had pushed the skirt towards the back of the car, bending the fender in the process and impeding the swing of the door. All the while, there were two security guards standing there for the building watching this all happen. Did not do a damn thing. The police cruiser was also parked maybe 3 meters behind the debris. Now we talked to the officer, got the case number for the hit and run, his name/badge/unit#. Took a ton of pictures and got the security guard's name and number of the condo management company.
We called the company today and they basically told us to pound sand and that they would absolutely not compensate us. Even with the incompetence of the security guards, who should have in my opinion at least help direct traffic in/out. She suggested we "write a letter to her which she will then pass to the board" but that was basically her way of telling us to take a long walk off a short dock.
Now the insurance company says that we are hooped and it is considered a single vehicle accident, meaning paying the deductible and having premiums go up if we claim.
Sorry for the pageful of words but I feel the details are important. Overall we felt that the building/building security handled the scene very poorly and made no attempts to alleviate the situation.
What are your thoughts beyonders??? Help is appreciated!
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Originally Posted by killramos
