ice on driveway-collisions to follow

jlmagalong · #1 01-15-2007, 05:17 AM

What is the name of your state? WA

Hi, our condominium complex driveway has had a sheet of ice on it for 2 weeks. I have fallen 4 times. No salt or sanding has been done. Last week, couldn't get up the hill to my garage, so I had to park at the bottom of the drive with a bunch of other cars in the same situation. My car slid and slammed into the curb. Didn't really think it had been badly damaged.
Next morning, car driving all crazy, and I was so afraid I took it in to the guy who always works on my car, he says it is all bent underneath, and it will be 2,700 dollars. I call the insurance company. They are due to send someone out during the week.
Meanwhile, we only have 1 car, so my husband drives me to work yesterday, but when he gets home, guess what? His car slides backwards and strikes another resident's vehicle who couldn't make it up the hill the night before and is illegally parked halfway in the complex and halfway on the main street (which has been sanded and is fine to drive on) The car he struck has been struck by someone else during the night because the damage he caused to her car is minor, the damage to ours is major. He waits for the police, and later the lady contacts us, she is 71 years old and tried to park as best she could, but it is just so icy. The police officer moved her car for her, we remain near the bottom of the driveway, too afraid to attempt it.
My confusion is whether this is merely a vehicle collision issue? It has not snowed for nearly 5 days. The ice has been like this for 2 weeks or so. All the surrounding area roads are safe to drive on, and the woman only parked her car there because she couldn't make it up the hill. It wasn't the first time for her to park down below because of this either. She told me she has fallen 4 times on the walkway. Should I contact any one else besides our insurance company? Does anyone know? This is such a difficult thing to deal with and now we are reduced to one banged up vehicle and I am feeling like some responsibility should fall on the Homeowner's Association for their lack of maintenance to our drive. Please-any and all advice is appreciated!
Jen

moburkes · #2 01-15-2007, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curt581

What exactly is so difficult about stopping at a gas station on your way home and picking up a couple bags of rock salt, then sprinkling said salt on slippery spots?

Before I read your post, I was thinking the EXACT same thing. You live there. You can buy rock salt. Sure, use the condo association's insurance policy (if the damage even exceeds the deductible), and make the association's rates go up.

nextwife · #3 01-15-2007, 08:35 AM

When I used to have to ride uphill on an icy drive into my condo, I used to carry tread mats in my car to throw in front of my tires, if need be. THose are even reussable (and cost me about $3.99 at adiscount place). C'mon, when we live in snow belt regions, we need to presume that sometimes the drives will be icy - even WITH regular salting or sanding.

ecmst12 · #4 01-15-2007, 08:37 AM

Or at the very least, the time to call and complain was after the FIRST time you fell from the ice!

jlmagalong · #5 01-15-2007, 08:38 AM

Gosh, I thought this was supposed to be a place where people like myself went for some help. Obviously, you just enjoy criticizing people or making fun of their lack of knowlegde. Every time people write in for advice (that is what it is called, right? Free Advice.) you seem to just get off trying to make them seem so stupid. Maybe it would be a good idea before belittling others to ask for clarification. Yes, rock salt is a fabulous idea. Unfortunately, I live in a condo with over 200 other units. The hills leading from our entrance are at least 100 feet a peice, there are over 4 of these hills, and you cannot walk nor drive up any of them. So, for me to walk around risking my neck to throw rock salt on the 2" thick black ice that has big 4x4 trucks spinning their wheels desparately to move only 1 foot would just be idiotic. I don't understand why you even bother to respond to people's inquiries. All you are doing is making them feel humiliated. All I was asking is if you thought it would be a good idea to let my Homeowner's Association know that 2 of my vehicles have now been damaged because there has been no sanding trucks or any type of properly equipped vehicle through here to at least drop some de-icer. Simple as that. i don't want sympathy. I don't want you to agree with me. I do think, however, that the 71 year old resident whose car is also destroyed shouldn't be expected to tote around a 20 lb bag of rock salt to make sure she doesn't break her hip or something.

Thanks anyway. I hope you never find yourself in a position where you don't know what to do and you ask the so called "experts" just to be told how stupid your question was.

BelizeBreeze · #6 01-15-2007, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlmagalong

Gosh, I thought this was supposed to be a place where people like myself went for some help. Obviously, you just enjoy criticizing people or making fun of their lack of knowlegde. Every time people write in for advice (that is what it is called, right? Free Advice.) you seem to just get off trying to make them seem so stupid. Maybe it would be a good idea before belittling others to ask for clarification. Yes, rock salt is a fabulous idea. Unfortunately, I live in a condo with over 200 other units. The hills leading from our entrance are at least 100 feet a peice, there are over 4 of these hills, and you cannot walk nor drive up any of them. So, for me to walk around risking my neck to throw rock salt on the 2" thick black ice that has big 4x4 trucks spinning their wheels desparately to move only 1 foot would just be idiotic. I don't understand why you even bother to respond to people's inquiries. All you are doing is making them feel humiliated. All I was asking is if you thought it would be a good idea to let my Homeowner's Association know that 2 of my vehicles have now been damaged because there has been no sanding trucks or any type of properly equipped vehicle through here to at least drop some de-icer. Simple as that. i don't want sympathy. I don't want you to agree with me. I do think, however, that the 71 year old resident whose car is also destroyed shouldn't be expected to tote around a 20 lb bag of rock salt to make sure she doesn't break her hip or something.

Thanks anyway. I hope you never find yourself in a position where you don't know what to do and you ask the so called "experts" just to be told how stupid your question was.

And what did SHE do to mitigate the damages?

moburkes · #7 01-15-2007, 08:43 AM

You live in WA state. I suspect that you get snow or ice during the winter months. I suspect that you knew before you moved into a development that was up hill of the street, that you realized there could be snow or ice in the winter months. I suspect that you've mentioned to the condo board that you haven't seen one speck of rock salt anywhere near the development since the storm. I suspect that you should take some responsibility for your actions.

jlmagalong · #8 01-15-2007, 08:53 AM

The elderly woman is actually very nice and we have spoken. She gave us her insurance information and understands that she was parked where she should not have been. Unfortunately, there is a whole slew of people who are forced to park that way every day because it is absolutely impossible to get up these hills. I'm talking REALLY icy. You cannot even set foot on the ground most of the time without having them come out under you. In fact, the officer who came to the scene couldn't even stand up. I think maybe the people answering don't quite understand that we live in Seattle, it isn't the "snow Belt." We get snow about once every 6 years and our terrain is extremely hilly. Nothing flat here, just big long hills.
And I did contact the property management company when I fell. No response. In fact, I called twice. Didn't whine or complain, I just told them that someone else may fall and really hurt themselves. Chances are. they stopped at the gas station on the way but couldn't make it up the hills either, even with their rock salt in tow. I don't think our gas stations even carry rock salt anyway.

ecmst12 · #9 01-15-2007, 09:02 AM

Do you have a contract with the condo association? Does it state that they will be responsible for snow/ice removal in the driveway? If so, that helps your case. But they still should have been contacted sooner and the residents should have been a little more insistent about the problem...might have prevented the accidents.

jlmagalong · #10 01-15-2007, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curt581

All of which you conveniently left OUT of your intial post.

C'mon... you fell FOUR times walking from your car to your door and you didn't take it upon yourself to do anything about it???

Go back up and reread your initial post objectively... then ask yourself "What's wrong with this picture?"

Answer: Sure. Call your HOA and tell them about your wrecked cars.

Why you didn't do this after the first accident is beyond me.

Why are you so rude? I am not trying to get anything from anyone, not any money or anything but advice on whether or not it was an issue I should alert my HOA to. I don't want to sue anyone or try to "conveniently" leave things out of my post. I didn't know people didn't understand that we live in Washington, it is a different type of environment, apparently from where others live. I apologize, wasn't trying to "trick" you. I am not trying to pass responsibility on to anyone else, but to tell you the truth, when the woman told me she has to work full time still, and she didn't know how she was going to get to work, the police told her not to leave her home because she might slip, I just felt like maybe the maintenance people we pay so much to every month should have done more. The reason I didn't call them after my accident, the first one, was because I felt I should not have even attempted the hill; just left my car at the bottom with all the others, but I was worried it would get hit. So I called my insurance and I was and am prepared to take responsibility for my actions. You sure do have a chip on your shoulder. Why even bother to read other people's problems if you don't want to try to help? Instead of thinking how irritated they are making you for asking things you think are so obvious, why don't you just try to remember they are people who need help. And that's why they are looking for "expert" advice.

racer72 · #11 01-15-2007, 11:32 AM

I live on the top of a hill and the roads are sheer ice. I have studded tires on my vehicle and have had no problems with the ice. I also carry chains with me too. I live in rural King County and the roads out here are never sanded. If you want expert advice, do whatever is necesarry to prepare your vehicle for driving in icy conditions, don't blame others for your failure to be prepared.

teflon_jones · #12 01-17-2007, 07:04 AM

The condo association policy is unlikely to cover this and will most likely refer you to your auto insurance carrier. Most condo policies have exclusions for coverage of vehicles on the property.

Once you knew about the dangerous situation, it was your responsibility (and your husband's) to take precautions with your vehicle to prevent any damages to your vehicle, other vehicles, and public and private property. You and your husband failed to do this by parking the vehicle in what you knew were hazardous conditions.

This may go against your insurance policy as an at-fault accident.