I parked my car in a covered parking garage adjacent to the Seattle Opera House and it was stolen. Do I have a legitimate claim against the lot?

Well unless it was a valet parking and they left the keys in it, I doubt it.. If you park your car at Walmart and it gets stolen, you can't sue walmart.. If a friend parks in front of your house and their car gets stolen, can they sue you? No

No, parking lots will normally if they give reciepts have a note they are not responsible.

And as a police officer who did 4 to 10 stolen car reports a week from various parking lots, you always leave them there at your risk.

Next of course that is why we carry insurance on our cars in case they get stolen

Hello Hugh:

Yeah, I saw somebody ripping down Mercer in a stolen car yesterday. Guess that was yours, huh?

I would not be so quick to dismiss the liability of the parking company. It really doesn't matter whether they have signs up or not. If they are negligent, putting up a sign won't change it.

Legitimate?? That's for the court to decide. Sounds legitimate to me. You did business with someone who screwed you.

excon

You need to advise your insurance company and let them handle any liability issue with the parking lot.

I agree that any parking ticket has a "waiver of liability" printed in mice-type on it somewhere; however, this battle is for your insurance company to fight with the lot with the aid of any information reflected in the police report.:rolleyes:

I agree with Fr Chuck.

Most likely, on the ticket, there is something that waives the car lots liability.

Unless you can prove that they were involved in the stealing of your car, I think you will be out of luck with them.

This is why car insurance is useful.

The parking lot's waiver cannot completely exonerate them from responsibility, but unless they assured you of the security of your vehicle at their facility you have no reasonable expectation that it is any safer than any other publicly accessible space.

If you can have to prove that something specific they did put your vehicle at increased risk to theft, you might have a case.

Otherwise your S.O.L.

The signs posted at parking lots and on parking ticket receipts are rarely enforceable in Court. The owner/operators post and print those "waivers" hoping customers will refrain from bringing legal action. I suggest you report the matter to your insurance company. Hopefully you carried comprehensive coverage. Your carrier will pay you, and then decide if they wish to pursue the parking lot operator (that is called subrogation, when an insurance carrier pursues reimbursement against a third party, after paying a claim). Good luck.