Parking Lots Owners,
Free or Paid,
Responsible For Vehicle
Left in Their Care
Following the decision
by the Sala Primera
(First Circuit Court)
last week, owners of
more than 180 parking
lots, must provide
additional security for
the parked cars as they
are now responsible for
any loss or theft of the
vehicle left in their
care.
Last week the court
decision only mentioned
parking lots operated by
shopping centres and
supermarkets, however,
the decision applies to
all parking lots,
There is a possibility
for appeal to the
Constitutional Court
which may reverse the
decision, however, as it
now stands, private and
public parking lot
owners and operators are
fully responsible for
any damage or loss to
vehicles on their
property.
Most of the public
parking lots,
supermarkets and
shopping centres all
have signs warning
customers that the lost
is not responsible for
damages in the event of
a loss. The court
decision nullifies any
such warning, placing
the onus on parking lot
owners to carefully
watch over the vehicles
left in their care.
The court decision
resulted in a complaint
filed by a man
identified only as
Streber following the
loss of his vehicle in
the Hipermás San
Sebastián store lot and
management refusing to
deal with him.
Representatives of
WalMart Costa Rica, who
now owns Hipermás, as
well as the Masx Menos,
Palí and Maxibodegas
chain of supermarkets,
refused comment on the
decision.
The Asociación de
Parqueos (parking lot
owners association)
assures that thanks to
the court decision there
will be more security in
parking lots, free and
paid.
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