Parking Management Services, Inc. (PMS) refuses to take responsibility for the damage caused to my automobile while my automobile was parked at PMS's so-called 'secured' parking facility. Prior to leaving your automobile at a parking facility in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Dallas/Fort Worth, Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Richmond, Scottsdale or Tampa I encourage you to investigate whether the facility is owned by Parking Management Services, Inc. - and, if so, to take your business elsewhere.
During its stay at a PMS parking facility, my automobile incurred extensive damage and theft of its parts.
Prior to my Sunday, December 30, 2012 arrival at the Crowne Plaza Miami International Airport Hotel (Crowne Plaza) parking facility, I contacted several automobile parking companies to discuss location, price, and – most importantly – the safety of the parking area. Telephoning the Crowne Plaza, I was transferred to a Parking Management Services, Inc. (PMS) parking lot attendant who assured me that my automobile would be safe at that location: in addition to a well-lighted and fenced parking area, the lot has security cameras, a security gate, hotel guests in the parking lot at all hours, and a security office staffed around the clock by persons who ensure the safety of the customers’ automobiles. Responding to my direct question, the attendant stated that neither vandalism to customers' automobiles nor theft of same or the contents therein is an issue at that parking facility. Confident I had found a location where my automobile would be safe during my absence, at 0510 hours or so ET Sunday, December 30, 2012 I arrived at the Crowne Plaza, paid for two months’ parking, provided the security office attendant my name, email address, and telephone number, parked my automobile, and boarded the hotel’s airport shuttle.
The day before I expected to return to the parking facility, load my luggage into my automobile, and depart the area I learned this was no longer possible; as per my 0820 hours ET Wednesday, February 26, 2013 telephone conversation with PMS employee Ronald, at some time between midnight ET Tuesday, February 19 and 0730 hours ET the following day my automobile – a white 2008 Ford F-450 Lariat – was stripped of its tailgate, tail lights, and side view mirrors. Upon my retrieval of my automobile the following evening and subsequent daytime inspection, I learned the wiring harnesses to the mirrors and tail lights had been cut, the driver side front door lock had been destroyed, and both front door tweeters had been removed. Also, after this inspection but prior to my arranging to have my automobile towed to a repair facility I learned the automobile had been towed across the parking lot; as per my telephone conversation with an employee of the tow company which performed the involuntary tow, to facilitate the move my automobile’s transmission shift linkage had been removed. Only because the driver of the tow company I hired Saturday, March 2, 2013 to move my automobile to a repair facility volunteered to reconnect the linkage was this issue not added to the list of damages to the automobile.
My in-person conversation with PMS Crowne Plaza manager Ron Boutte the evening I discovered the loss to my automobile was nonproductive. As did PMS employee Ronald the previous day, Mr. Boutte stated as the reason I was not contacted immediately after the discovery of the loss PMS’s alleged lack of my contact information – data I left with the attendant upon my paying for service and leaving my automobile. Clearly, PMS personnel demonstrated no concern for this customer’s property, failing to notify law enforcement so that a report could be filed immediately after the loss, fingerprints could be taken, video recordings from the facility’s security cameras could be analyzed, and whoever caused this loss could be apprehended and held accountable. (According to Mr. Boutte, security cameras did record the individual(s) who broke into, damaged, and removed parts from my automobile yet I have never been afforded the opportunity to inspect any such video recordings.) My subsequent telephone calls to Mr. Boutte resulted in but voice mails – none of which Mr. Boutte bothered to return. Instead of assisting me, PMS employees chose to do nothing.
(In considering this event, it is my opinion the PMS employee(s) participated in the loss. To suggest someone can spend the time to break into and remove parts from an automobile, and then take those parts – including a pickup truck tail gate – from the parking facility while going undetected exceeds the limit of what I am willing to believe. Also, the failure of PMS personnel to contact me post-loss clearly demonstrates PMS employees’ lack of concern for a customer.)
I should not be expected to shoulder the deficit between what PMS employee claimed – that the PMS parking facility is a safe place for me to store my automobile – and what I experienced. I deserve to be made whole, with my automobile being returned to pre-parking lot arrival condition, reimbursed any expense I incur, and monetarily compensated for any time I spend addressing this loss. While my automobile insurance coverage paid for most of the cost of parts replacement and damage repair (which totalled more than $8,900.00), had I known prior to arriving at the PMS parking facility that I was exposing my automobile to consider risk of damage or theft I would not have given PMS my business.
Since my loss, PMS employees Dale Nelson and Bob Bennett have for over two years refused to forward my letter - send via fax AND registered postal mail delivery - to PMS president Thomas Gigliotti. Clearly, Mssrs. Nelson and Bennett prefer their employer not learn of my experience at Mr. Gigliotti's parking facility.
Parking Management Services, Inc. (PMS) refuses to take responsibility for the damage caused to my automobile while my automobile was parked at PMS's so-called 'secured' parking facility. Prior to leaving your automobile at a parking facility in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Dallas/Fort Worth, Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Richmond, Scottsdale or Tampa I encourage you to investigate whether the facility is owned by Parking Management Services, Inc. - and, if so, to take your business elsewhere.