NYC Parking Garage Complaints: The Parking Garage Nicked My Bumper…What Should I Do ?

NYC parking garages are notorious for scarring plastic car bumpers. The most common parking garage complaints are screw marks and scratches to the bumpers. This is not surprising when you consider the limited space and the number of vehicles that are crammed into the spaces. Look inside most parking garages and you will see cars parked almost touching. There is very little room to maneuver and cement walls, columns and low hanging pipes makes negotiating a parking garage is a dangerous endeavor. One of the biggest problems in any NYC parking garage is that vehicles constantly being shuffled around in order to pull out vehicles that are buried. As parking garages fill up during rush hour, parking garage attendants are constantly under pressure from management to move faster. This rush to park and retrieve vehicles is why cars are damaged in NYC parking garages. While most of these incidents are accidental who is ultimately responsible for the repairs.The answer is not so clear, since most NYC parking garages try to limit their liability by placing warning signs at the entrances that read “not responsible for damage to plastic bumpers,”Parking garage ticket stubs and monthly parking garage contracts also include a provision that limits the parking garage liability in case a vehicle is damaged by the parking garage attendant. Most parking garages will not fix minor scraps and scratches to your bumper even if it was their fault. If the damage is substantial and clearly their fault they will offer to have the vehicle fixed. So, if you notice that your vehicle has been damaged at the parking garage tell the parking garage manager right away and have them fill out a claim form on the spot. Make sure you take a picture and take down the manager’s name. If the damage is minor then the parking attendant will usually deny that it happened in the parking garage and throw the blame back on you. NYC parking garages know the game, so filing a claim or small claims action is futile, unless you have nothing to do all day but get aggravated. The best way to prevent parking garage damage in the first place is choosing a safe parking garage and inspecting your vehicle before and after you park.