My Mini Van was stolen last night!! (long) (page 4)

Bstndance

Here's my take on this. I work in property management so I hear parking stories all of the time.

It sounds like the faculty member didn't like the car in "their" spot and instead of calling a tow truck which would cost you $$ they decided to be passive aggresive and move the car to give the illusion that it was stolen and hopefully your son would learn not to park there. In the real world, the van would have been towed.

Just this morning I had to put one of those nasty stickers on a car parked in my co-workers reserved space. The person who parked there came up screaming that we vandalized their car. I pointed out that we had a right to cite and could tow the car under the law and also pointed out that there are signs all over the property absolving us of responsibility for any cars or property in our lot. If the school was smart, the school will have plenty of signs in the parking lot regarding the parking rules or at least a list in the student handbook.

To the people who say get a lawyer: Are you kidding me? Moving a car did not cause any emotional, monetary, or physical injury. I would be very weary of any lawyer who would actually take on a case like this. The taxpayers' money was already wasted on the police filling out paperwork and now you want to tie up a courthouse, city attorneys and other resources?

inbyathread

We've taught our children right and wrong through consequences. When we were in the borg the elder body didn't like that style of parental training but I don't give a s**t about their thoughts.

If I get stopped for speeding I will acknowledge driving too fast. Thank the officer for stopping me. If I had continued driving fast I could have had an accident injuring myself or others. Accept the ticket if given and learn the consequence from the experience.

Explain this to your son and then go to the school. You can calmly explain that this incident is an opportunity to teach responsibility on how to handle matters. Your son can calmly accept the ticket. Ask what the school policy is for wrongfully parked vehicles. My guess is that the policy states that the vehicle is to be ticketed and/or towed. Since the car was illegally entered and moved, the school policy was not followed. AFter this you can then ask and expect that the person responsible for moving the vehicle will be held responsible for not handling the matter according to school policy. This can be brought up to the school board.

However if the person comes and gives an appology for entering and moving the vehicle you can then accept it after being assured that this will never happen again.

Consequence for both sides.

Anything beyond this will just cause difficulties until your son graduates. After March of 2005 the MPD hasn't been the same. You probably won't get much help from them in this case.

Jourles

I say 'nay' to a lawyer. It seems it was a poor attempt at a practical joke(probably in the mind of the mover). If it were me, I would find out who this faculty member was and return the favor. Maybe even take it a step further and find out where he lives and then put a little "makeup" on his car. TP has always been a good, cheap decorative item. Molasses on the windshield works well too. You would think it would be impossible to get off, but a garden hose cleans it up nicely.

ButtLight

I have no intention of going to a lawyer over this. Its not worth the time or the money! But, I do feel the need to talk to the principal on this matter. Have they told this staff member what he did was illegal, and If he does it again that it could lead to letting him go? Probably not. What message is the principal giving to my son by saying if Chris brings me back in, he will get a ticket?

I want to ask him a question. "If Chris went in your car, saw the key was in it, and moved it, what would happent to him? When it all boils down, he is pretty much giving Chris the impression that it doesnt matter that this staff member broke the law, what matters is if you pursue it, you will get the ticket. Thats wrong!

Its was hard enough for me to raise 3 kids by myself, and always make good choices for them, and to teach them right from wrong. This sure isnt helping.

katiekitten

You have a prima facie case in that nobody should have entered your car and moved it.

But at the end of the day how much time, effort and money would you have to put into sueing? Versus how much justice and satisfaction would you get? Is the result worth the effort? You would need to keep your anger maintained for a prolonged period of time to see this through court. Do we HAVE to sue on every single issue where life doesnt treat us right?

How about moving your kid to a different school?

Plus, your son is not coming to law with completely clean hands on this. In England if you leave your keys in the car and it gets stolen the insuance company will not pay up. I wonder why? You are REAL lucky the car did not get stolen.

What if one of his school buddies had moved it as a joke? Would you be as keen to sue them? Or is it that you know the school has money to cough up?

And, although its not an argument, the officer does have a point. If everyone else had taken the letter of the law against your son he might well be in prison.

I work in a school and i find that the most badly behaved students (now im just talking in general, not about your son here) are the ones who DEMAND justice to be done to everyone else over the smallest issues. I am dealing with a case right now, of an extremely disruptive and rude student who drove a girl to distraction by calling her names until she flicked him with a ruler. Now his mum is demanding that this girl (Who is normally very quiet and studious) be expelled. She is not willing to accept that the girl was punished and made to apologise. And yet her son was caught making racist comments only yesterday, as well as smoking, being rude to me today and fighting another student during class. Sigh. Not everyone in schools are assholes.

whyamihere

That sucks Butt - My advice is to do nothing about it. Don't waste your time and energy into something that will just fall through. Plus, Chris will get more heat because of it.

If need be - I'll get 5-10 Old High School buddies and we'll take care of the faculty's parking lot. Back in the day, we had a 500 reward for any student to turn the individual(s) with reckless behavior in.

Brookie

What-A-Coincidence

My advice is to do nothing about it. Don't waste your time and energy

I agree. Did anyone get hurt??? Is anyone in pain??? Move on.There are biggers issues in life like why threads get deleted .. just kidding.

solo

I think you should persue this with the school without sueing

As the vehicle's owner the crime was committed against you not your son. Your vehicle was taken without conscent and driven without insurance. What if this person had crashed your vehicle? This issue should be addressed with the Principal.

As for the police raking up your son's past, this is irrelvent, as I said the crime was commited against you, not your son.

with regard to your son parking in a space that was allocated for others then he should have been issued a ticket, this is after all a parking offence.

the matter of your son leaving the vehicle open and the keys inside - well that is between you and him

A previous writer is right, the teachers and staff should be setting the student an outstanding example, the behaviour of the phantom driver is discraceful and in no way justified

ButtLight

Or is it that you know the school has money to cough up?

Thats just plain silly! If you would have read my post right above yours, you would have seen what my intentions are.

There is no cause what so ever to sue anyone. There were no damages!

But in this town, the school, and the laws are very strict for the kids. For example, If your 16, your curfew is 10 pm no matter what, even in the summer. 10:01, you get caught, expect a ticket!

If you get in a fight in school, even if you only are defending yourself, both kids get disorderly conduct tickets!

If a teacher takes you aside and screams at you, you have to take it. You yell back, you get a disorderly conduct!

You "moon" your buddy after school, you get a disorderly conduct!

But if the kids have to learn a lesson, either you obey the laws or else, shouldnt it be the same, for say staff members at school?

JH

What if one of his school buddies had moved it as a joke? Would you be as keen to sue them?

Remember that Buttlight and her son are the victims here, don't turn things around to make the victims look like the criminals.

My Mini Van was stolen last night!! (long)

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