Advice on Vehicle damage in a parking lot

[pylon]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I take photographs of the license plate of cars that are a little too close for comfort in the parking lot. Just a safety measure before it happens. I usually also try and park at the end of a row or at least one space between. I probably have OCD but I can't fathom the thought of Joe Redneck or Little Punk Billy damaging my car and then laughing it off and hightailing it out of there.

Then why are you parking so close to them in the first place? If you are getting out of your car and taking the photo, that must mean you are parking there second, and are worried because you parked too close to them. I have ZERO issues door dinging someone, if some nozzle parks so close, after I was there first, and I can hardly open my door to get in. In fact I won't even be gentle about it.

Am I supposed to suffer a hernia trying to climb over the centre console through my passenger door and damage my interior? Am I supposed to wait for 2 hours for the guy to come out? If you park too close to someone, regardless if there is no other spots or not, you forfeit your privilege of getting an insurance claim for a nasty door ding, and you deserve everything you get. The only time I take a picture, is when I am coming back to my car, and the guy is parked 8 inches from my drivers door. That way, if it ever comes up, I have evidence of how I was parked in.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by pylon

My theory on this.

Pizza made a questionable parking choice, and parked way too close to someone. He took the plate of that vehicle down and the make when he left, in case that person exacted revenge, keyed his car, bumped him backing out etc.... There is no way, someone remembers the plate of a vehicle they parked next to, unless they made a deliberate effort to look at it and memorize it, or had a dash cam.

Also, if you were at work all day, how does he know 3 other cars didn't go into that spot after the car he parked next to?

Something is very fishy about this, and we aren't getting the whole story here. Sounds to me like he is trying to frame someone with his car damage.

I really don't see what's going on here that's fishy.

And yes, the insurance companies/cops will require some proof. That proof will come in the form of paint on the vehicle that struck his. Paint which can be cleaned off. This is why OP needs to contact the cops and his insurance company immediately.

Even if it was OP that parked too close intially, the other car has left the scene of an accident. That alone will create credibility issues for this other driver.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by blankall

I really don't see what's going on here that's fishy.

And yes, the insurance companies/cops will require some proof. That proof will come in the form of paint on the vehicle that struck his. Paint which can be cleaned off. This is why OP needs to contact the cops and his insurance company immediately.

Even if it was OP that parked too close intially, the other car has left the scene of an accident. That alone will create credibility issues for this other driver.

He looked at and memorized/recorded the plate for a reason. He is omitting that reason. There is not a person alive that will remember a plate number even 10 minutes later from their peripheral vision.

[Dion]

Something fishy here. If one finds scratches and dents you call the police and insurance company as opposed to fielding answers on a message board. Maybe Pizza was the one that hit someone and is looking to see if he will be charged.

[Ironhorse]

Isn't there also an issue with these things happening in private lots, and not on public roads, and it therefore not being enforceable under the Traffic Act? I seem to recall something along those lines...

[pylon]

And that was my other theory, thanks Dion.

You have absolutely nothing to lose by filling out a police report, and calling your insurance company. You were not at fault in the first place. Nothing adds up here.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

Isn't there also an issue with these things happening in private lots, and not on public roads, and it therefore not being enforceable under the Traffic Act? I seem to recall something along those lines...

It doesn't matter. If your car hit my car in a private parking lot, my private driveway, or on the moon, you are still responsible for the damage to my property and vice versa, and so is your insurance.

[Nage Waza]

A neighbor hit my car once and did not report it. I took photos and called the police. Based on my evidence of where I was parked and the location of damage on both cars it was clear who was at fault. The police arrived and the neighbor quickly said I hit them, the police asked why they didn't call and asked them where they were parked when they were hit and to describe my car. It was obvious they were making stuff up and so the police charged him with leaving the scene of an accident (or whatever it is called). Police have a lot of discretion in these circumstances. Be polite, take detailed notes and the police will be reasonable.

Court is even easier, especially with your good notes and the fact you called the police.

[Nage Waza]

Originally Posted by pylon

It doesn't matter. If your car hit my car in a private parking lot, my private driveway, or on the moon, you are still responsible for the damage to my property and vice versa, and so is your insurance.

Insurance is not responsible, they are under a very specific contract which has it's own rules. There are many clauses that render the insurance null and void. I wouldn't be surprised that leaving the scene can make some insurance void.

[Chingas]

Originally Posted by pylon

He looked at and memorized/recorded the plate for a reason. He is omitting that reason. There is not a person alive that will remember a plate number even 10 minutes later from their peripheral vision.

[cam_wmh]

Bit off topic - But, I take a lot of pride (& $) in my car, and if I have to park in a parkade, or am unable to park at the back of the parking lot, I snap a couple pics on my phone of both vehicles adjacent.

Due diligence son.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by pylon

He looked at and memorized/recorded the plate for a reason. He is omitting that reason. There is not a person alive that will remember a plate number even 10 minutes later from their peripheral vision.

haha I guess I am the only that does this sometimes. If I see a sketchy looking car parked near me, I will always remember the make and model as well as the first part of the license plate. At least for an hour or so. I'll do it for any car that looks beat up, or any car parked oddly in any way. It's instinctual for me and only takes a quick glance.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Nage Waza

Insurance is not responsible, they are under a very specific contract which has it's own rules. There are many clauses that render the insurance null and void. I wouldn't be surprised that leaving the scene can make some insurance void.

It can.

[AFireInside]

Originally Posted by pylon

He looked at and memorized/recorded the plate for a reason. He is omitting that reason. There is not a person alive that will remember a plate number even 10 minutes later from their peripheral vision.

I agree with Pylon here. There is something very strange about this thread. I read the first post earlier today and it doesn't add up.

Let's say he parked next to a white car, can he prove that another white car didn't park there after the first car? There's absolutely no proof.

Comparing that to an accident where you can determine who was at fault by the damage to both vehicles is not even close to the same thing.

Seems very strange, and Pizza's responses seem kind of odd. Just playing off the fact that he/she memorized a random license plate because "I dunno, guess I just have a good memory", seems odd.

This post from Pizza:

Got a glance at the licence plate of the car next to me as i was just leaving my car. Dont ask me why I still remember, I have a good memory I guess

Anyways, is this considered hit and run? i thought that only applied to collisions, not scratches and dents

Just the way this post is phrased makes it seem like something fishy is going on.

"I can't get in trouble right? That only applies to collisions, not scratches and dents. They can't get me in trouble right?"

[AFireInside]

Originally Posted by blankall

haha I guess I am the only that does this sometimes. If I see a sketchy looking car parked near me, I will always remember the make and model as well as the first part of the license plate. At least for an hour or so. I'll do it for any car that looks beat up, or any car parked oddly in any way. It's instinctual for me and only takes a quick glance.

See what you just said makes sense though. If you see a sketchy car you take a look.. You don't just have a good memory that randomly, on this day happened to memorize a license plate for no apparent reason.

I would expect if Pizza looked at the plate because of a concern about who they were parking next to, they would have just answered with that reason.

[zamler]

How about next time just park somewhere else. I can't believe how many times I see people park in a tight space just so they can save 20 feet of walking into a store. I park as far away as possible most of the time, less door dings and headaches. And yea it does take me an extra 30 seconds to get into the store, oh well....

[jayswin]

I can't believe there are actually some in this thread that actually believe this story. It's so obvious what happened here.

Dude hit a car in a parking lot, panicked (or just didn't feel like owning up) and left, thinks someone might have information on his vehicle, and is now fishing for answers on how easy it is to catch a parking lot hit and run suspect.

lol, c'mon, guys just read his posts again with this in mind.

[t0rrent98]

Originally Posted by T@T

Obviously since you know the plate # you phone the cops, pretty sure they wouldn't have time to fix it. Hit and Run is a serious offence.

I have to ask though...who remembers plate numbers in parking lots

Maybe he babies his car like it's his own child? heck I used to do too that with my current car when i first bought it. almost 3 years later and my cars pretty much full of those things...

[worth]

Unless Pizza is... Jason Bourne

[puckluck2]

The parking lot at Southland leisure center is impossible to not park close to someone so sometimes I memerize the plate numbers in case someone dings my door or damages it in another way, but yeah this story does seem like pizza is asking for information because he hit someone.