Bike vandalism legal advice

Does the GF have rental insurance. Since you were technically at her place, it could be insured under her coverage.

see if there is any security cam footage in the garage?

stumpjump said:

So I spent most of my weekend filling out police reports and taking my bike to the shop to see what could be done, but at this point I jsut want to see if anyone has experience with soemthign like this.

So on the weekends Im with my gf at her apartment and I leave my XC bike on the rack overnight (in a secured garage) and Ive never had a problem with it. Saturday morning I came down and it looked like a car had gotten into the rack but in looking further it looks like someone just decided to go postal on the rack with a bat or soemthing. I have an 07 stumperjumper FSR with the brain shock, which had the downtube dented, the brain ripped off the back of the bike, wheels bent and the shifters were smashed. There were about 5 other bikes wrecked too. I called and made a police report, btu now I am trying to figure out what is the best route to take with the apartment complex and other such venues. This was a $3500 setup and I def dont have the dough to replace this bike and wont for a long time if I have to pony up. Anyone have some advice or bike company contacts that could help a fellow monkey out. This bike was pretty much my life and Im not sure what to do at this point.

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Good luck to ya, but don't count on anything being done by the apartment complex or your girlfriends renters insurance. I've had several friends get various things vandalized in their metro-DC area apartment complex grounds (secured/garaged parking areas). Every single time the apartment has used the "not responsible for damaged property" clause that is typically written into the rental lease for parking and common areas. Likewise, the renters insurance has always given them some BS excuse to not cover it either. Maybe they didn't push the issue with the property manager/owner or renters insurance agency, but just a heads up....

FYI, on the renters insurance policy that my wife and I have through an independent insurnace agency beyond our apartment complex/property manager company offering, we had to write down all details of bike and ski equipment to be covered (ie, down to the smallest of parts and MSRP for that part). Was a lot of work, but could prove useful if ever needed.

Can you claim it on your own auto or homeowners/renter's insurance?

Total sucktor! That's worse than having your rear wheel stolen!

You shouldn't have left the bike there. There is no such thing as a secure garage when it is a shared space. It sucks that your bike got trashed but you should really know better.

Unless the bike was insured already you are screwed.

boogenman said:

You shouldn't have left the bike there. There is no such thing as a secure garage when it is a shared space. It sucks that your bike got trashed but you should really know better.

Unless the bike was insured already you are screwed.

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Yeah, I have to agree.

Secure garages is often a relaxed place for a thief to ply his trade, since there are no cops wandering by.

There are a few public garages in SF with attended bike parking, so I will lock my bike with less concerned.

Unfortunately, you should either rode a beater or brought the bike into your g/f's place.

Not that any of that advice does any good now and i'm sure it's something he's currently aware of.

Secure garages at nicer apartments will sometimes have camera's. That might be a start. Although the apartment complex has ZERO liability when it comes to items on their property. I hope that either you or your gf have renters/owners insurance as that's the only way you'll get anything out of it.

You will have to file it under your own renters or home owners. The apartment complex holds no liability. You have to prove them negligent, and they are not, the person that hit the rack is. Your gf's renters policy will only cover her owned property, not property owned by others. If you have no insurance you are pretty much screwed, unless you are still a resident of your parents home, then check with their home owners policy.

**disclaimer, states differ in the way coverages work, but the basics are as stated above.

I've had a bike stolen off my locked car rack (sunday afternoon, middle of Boston, in the store literally 2 minutes) and my car insurance covered it. Worth a try contacting them.

btw, in case people think a security cam is deterrent, there is this great thread on the Bay Area Riders Forum about a stolen moto from a parking garage: http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=299019

not as a deterrent, but as a means to potentially identify someone at some point.

This is god punishing you for not coming down to Virginia Beach with your boys.

You know better than this. Bring your bike inside. Pretend the entire world is Whistler, but Rob, Bill and I aren't there to kill everyone we see who would mess with our bikes.

Now as your lawyer, why don't you have renter's insurance?

I'll talk to you tomorrow when I get back up there. I would say that you might be able to get it taken care of via her insurance, but don't count on it. Typically unless the person who's insurance it is did the damage, you're SOL and JWF.

You may potentially turn it in on your auto insurance depending upon the insurance regulations in your state and what your coverages on the policy are. In the state of NC, you have comprehensive and collision coverage. Comprehensive covers acts of nature, acts of god...deer, tree, hail, rock hitting windshield or entire vehicle. Collision covers damage of your own vehicle by someone else's car in a hit and run situation where the other driver is gone and you have no one to identify.

Check with your auto insurance company. It can potentially be covered by your auto policy. Indicate that you parked it to visit, came back out and it was that way.

The only other coverage you have is on your own personal homeowners or renters insurance policy. You can't turn it in on hers because only her personal belongings are covered and if she ever buys a house, your claim on her insurance could hinder her ability to receive a homeowners policy. Homeowners covers personal property, ridiculously expensive bicycles included.

Edit: The apartment complex has to have a business liability policy that you might can file your claim on, but my guess is that you'll have to indicate it is their negligence that led to the damage.

Gunner said:

I've had a bike stolen off my locked car rack (sunday afternoon, middle of Boston, in the store literally 2 minutes) and my car insurance covered it. Worth a try contacting them.

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Similar experience with a friend of mine. Walked in the store, bike swiped off the top of his car. Homeowners insurance covered it despite it being on his car. It really depends on the policy. Many times large/expensive items can be claimed even if they aren't in the home or part of the home.