Wife's car towed from outside car rental place where she was a customer.

[justalayman]

She had permission to be parked there.

Apparently not from anybody that had the authority to grant her permission for long term parking.

 

[quincy]

She had permission to be parked there.

Indefinitely?

 

[mede]

Apparently not from anybody that had the authority to grant her permission for long term parking.

Perhaps. But that is assuming that Enterprise doesn't have the authority to grant people permission to park in front of Enterprise, which might be true, but either way the question is whether Enterprise is liable for the damages that resulted from their assurance that the car was permitted to be there.

 

[quincy]

Perhaps. But that is assuming that Enterprise doesn't have the authority to grant people permission to park in front of Enterprise, which might be true, but either way the question is whether Enterprise is liable for the damages that resulted from their assurance that the car was permitted to be there.

Whether Enterprise can be held liable depends on the terms of the agreement your wife had with Enterprise. I would be very surprised if Enterprise agreed to allow your wife FREE parking in front of their building for as long as she wanted to park there.

I suggest you ask your wife to give you the details but let her handle the vehicle towing and sale herself.

There appears to be much you don't know.

Good luck.

 

[mede]

Indefinitely?

Are you asking whether the permission to park there was conditional on her agreeing to hike back to Enterprise on foot a couple of days later and retrieve her personal car while she was still in possession of the Enterprise car? Seems like a strange question, but no. Obviously the permission to park there was intended to be for the duration of the time that she was an Enterprise customer and driving the Enterprise car.

She was given permission to be parked there for the time that she was a customer, she had a sign on the windshield provided by Enterprise saying as much, and the right to park there while renting one of their cars is implied anyway. If Enterprise doesn't want people who drove to the location to rent from them than they have the ability to say as much and refuse to rent the car out.

Likewise, if they change their mind and start to feel like the car is "junky" or something they can call the customer and ask that the car be returned.

 

[mede]

Whether Enterprise can be held liable depends on the terms of the agreement your wife had with Enterprise. I would be very surprised if Enterprise agreed to allow your wife FREE parking in front of their building for as long as she wanted to park there.

I suggest you ask your wife to give you the details but let her handle the vehicle towing and sale herself.

There appears to be much you don't know.

Good luck.

One good question is whether there is any mention in the paperwork she signed. I'm guessing there isn't any mention of it, and she probably didn't keep the paperwork anyway, unfortunately. So not having it in writing may prevent me from getting back my damages, but they definitely did give her permission to be parked there.

 

[Zigner]

Are you asking whether the permission to park there was conditional on her agreeing to hike back to Enterprise on foot a couple of days later and retrieve her personal car while she was still in possession of the Enterprise car? Seems like a strange question, but no. Obviously the permission to park there was intended to be for the duration of the time that she was an Enterprise customer and driving the Enterprise car.

She was given permission to be parked there for the time that she was a customer, she had a sign on the windshield provided by Enterprise saying as much, and the right to park there while renting one of their cars is implied anyway. If Enterprise doesn't want people who drove to the location to rent from them than they have the ability to say as much and refuse to rent the car out.

Likewise, if they change their mind and start to feel like the car is "junky" or something they can call the customer and ask that the car be returned.

It's not Enterprise's lot so they can't give permission. She didn't have permission to park there.

 

[mede]

It's not Enterprise's lot so they can't give permission. She didn't have permission to park there.

Right. So the hotel technically can tow the cars of Enterprise's customers. But can Enterprise lie to their customers and tell them that it is okay to park there?

 

[quincy]

Right. So the hotel technically can tow the cars of Enterprise's customers. But can Enterprise lie to their customers and tell them that it is okay to park there?

It really gets down to what exactly Enterprise said to your wife. Can she perhaps register on this site so we can ask questions of her? That would help.

 

[mede]

It really gets down to what exactly Enterprise said to your wife. Can she perhaps register on this site so we can ask questions of her? That would help.

According to her, they said the car was okay to be parked there as long as she was a customer and was driving the Enterprise car. One important thing I need to do is see if she does have the original paperwork and if so if it mentions parking for a customer's personal car. My guess is it doesn't and we will just go to small claims court and claim that they gave permission, and they will say that they didn't, and I'm guessing it will go in their favor.

 

[quincy]

... My guess is it doesn't and we will just go to small claims court and claim that they gave permission, and they will say that they didn't, and I'm guessing it will go in their favor.

If your wife has something in writing that mentions long-term parking at Enterprise at Enterprise's expense, that would be good.

Otherwise, it is anyone's guess what will happen in court if your wife sues.

 

[HighwayMan]

Obviously the permission to park there was intended to be for the duration of the time that she was an Enterprise customer and driving the Enterprise car.

I find that far from obvious. To me it would make more sense that she would be able to park there while she was transacting business inside.

You act like everyone who rents a car must leave their car at the rental location. That's ridiculous. Where were you in all of this? Wouldn't it have made more sense for you to drop your wife off? Or at the very least drive her back to pick up the car and leave it at your residence?

 

[Zigner]

Enterprise will often pick you up...heck, it's in all their commercials around here.

 

[justalayman]

Enterprise stated they needed to change the "enterprise customers" sign weekly or some such act. They didn't. If they could actually permit parking where your wife parked and it was a failure on enterprises legal obligations your wife's car got towed she should be able to obtain money she paid for towing and storage up until the time she became aware her car was towed. If she paid nothing she would be due nothing.

Anything beyond the time she discovered her car had been towed is on your wife. She would be obligated to mitigate her damages. She would have done that by paying the outstanding bill at the storage lot and retrieve her car. She didn't so the car being auctioned is on her.

So did she pay anything to the impound lot?

 

[Just Blue]

According to her, they said the car was okay to be parked there as long as she was a customer and was driving the Enterprise car. One important thing I need to do is see if she does have the original paperwork and if so if it mentions parking for a customer's personal car. My guess is it doesn't and we will just go to small claims court and claim that they gave permission, and they will say that they didn't, and I'm guessing it will go in their favor.

Why was your wife renting when she owned a car? (sorry if this has been addressed)