Legal Question in Legal Ethics in Oregon

My car was broken into and everything was stolen. This includes a deck and all of my school books and id's. The Parking Lot it was located in is a paid lot, and has a very high rate. They say that they help the customers and that they hold customers first, although when the event happened (around 7:40 to 7:50 AM) they didnt have any security. And at 8:00 AM when they were handing out citations they didnt do anything about the car, the guy literally was in his car hiding when I came out and found it their. I called the owner or operator and left a message, which still hasnt been returned after two days. Anyhow, my question is, are they responsible for security since it is a payed lot, and can they be held accountable for what happened or the negligence of following up on the event?

Note: when I did get a ticket and called to pay it, it only took a few hours for them to call back, so it seems like theyre avoiding me.


Asked on 8/04/10, 1:25 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Daniel Meek Daniel W. Meek

Your "contract" with the parking lot probably excludes any liability for the company regarding your car or items in it. Look at the ticket or receipt. It probably disclaims all liability. You could sue the company for negligently failing to protect your car, but bringing such a suit would probably cost far more than the value of the items that were stolen and the damage to your car. That does not prevent you from telling the company you are going to sue them and seeing what they offer in return, if anything.

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Answered on 8/09/10, 2:27 am


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