Parking Garage damaged my car - and are charging me for their damage! Advice...

[Lucky Luciano]

So, I have a car that I park in midtown NYC (53rd & 6th - Hilton Hotel) for $275 - a super cheap deal. Market rates are $450 to $550 per month. One day, they brought my car to me and there was a brand new dent on the driver's side front panel - not huge or tremendously noticeable, but knowing how exorbitant mechanics are, probably $1000 of damage. So, I filed a claim after arguing with the guy who said that the damage was already there.

The corporation rejected my claim because they say the manager said the damage was pre-existing. So, naturally I am pissed off in a Tony Soprano kind of way. I went to see the manager who played dumb. I said that it would be a shame if I had to sue (although I don't have time for this sort of crap with my intense job).

Now, I always tip the guys who bring the car - always. And this is how I get treated?

Well, after I have it out with the manager, I get my car and leave. I drop the car off and on the weekend when I went to retrieve it for a drive to New England, I see a note on my car. They gave me notice that they were going to raise my rates from $275 to $400/mo - so they are charging me for the damage they did!

They refuse to take responsibility. The caveman in me want to bash their fuckin' heads with baseball bats and force feed the decapitated heads to their children, but in lieu of that, I need another more legal recourse.

1) Small claims court at least.
2) Is their punitive methods of dealing with me for my complaints legal? Can I crush them with a lawyer for the claim on my car PLUS punitive damages for something? Anything? It is a large corporation called "Central Parking."
3) Any methods to get the manager fired and his life destroyed would be helpful.
4) Is calling immigration to get a spot check done on the place over the top?

Yes, I do tend to over-retaliate, but I refuse to let these jackasses play me for a fool - it is less about the money and more about not being played for a fool - it is embarrassing. Plus, this year I made half the money I made last year due to the subprime clusterfuck of a disaster, so money is much tighter in expensive NYC. I may even have to sell my car after the summer to make up for this year's compensation disaster.

[MrScorpio]

1. WWACD?

What would Al Capone do?

[LeftyMom]

2. Do you have a written agreement for your rental of the parking space?

What does it say about changes in rental rates? Is there any local or state law on that?

Other than that, your best bet is to take them to court for the damage to your car. Talk to your car insurance people, if you've got a claim in they'll probably want to coordinate with you so they can get whatever they've paid out back as well.

As for getting anybody at the garage fired, I'd see if I could get contact info for the corporate office. Call, move up the food chain, be reasonable, give names at the local office, offer to send pictures to verify your claims, etc.

Don't call la migra. A dent in your car isn't worth some kid coming home from school to find out her Dad is going to get deported.

[Road Scholar]

3. Does your state's Attorney General have a consumer protection division.

Probably so. Write letters . Be a nuisance to all concerned. Tell them to fuck their policy, you have a policy too, not to take shit like that lying down.Call the newspaper,raise hell.Local TV stations love those sort of "Local Company Tries to Screw Consumer" stories.
Works for me usually.