Minor vandalism in condo underground, any advice besides moving?

[Joy2Drive]

Well, my worse nightmare came true this afternoon, as I was getting into my daily driver, which is parked 20 meters away facing my baby, I saw her without her cover as it was left on the ground. Upon closer inspection, I spotted a number of new stone chips on the hood as if someone intentionally threw something at her. Fortunately no other significant damage, but still it brought me to a full-boil and not to mention paranoid (with good reasons) , and I just want to rip the head off whoever did this.

While there is a security camera facing her, which I will speak with condo management to review the tape, it is nevertheless damage done :frown: . Why do people still do crap like this where they know there is a camera watching? Is almost as if they dare you to look them up, and challenge them.

I live in a higher end, low unit (150 units) Tridel condo, which has 24/7 security monitor. I just didn’t think this would happen. I would understand if I was living in City Place or NY Towers where there are many residents and visitors. My condo are majority Iranian, Korean, older Chinese, and families. WTF!!!

I feel so helpless at this point, even if I can make out who did it, what can I possibly do to prevent this from happening again. It is time like this that I wish I had bought a house with a garage.

Any advice on how I should handle this incident? Should I put a sign up on the car and send a friendly/threaten message to the person who did it? I am certain this will not be the last time.

I know another member (Sze Chi) who lives in a condo, any advice?

Does anyone have a spare garage space for rent? Stu (RED) lives very close to me but I doubt he has room. I live in the Yonge/Finch area. Can any one rent me a space? I can certainly store her at my folks, but I just don’t want to commute to Oakville every time I want to drive.

What a headache!!! Help…. Advice…..

J2D

 

[BioBanker]

yeah that is brutal. I would upgrade your alarm to something with a pager (probably will not work in a parking garage) with proximity sensor. My car secures my garage. Walk in the garage and the car will page me telling me that someone is in there.

Not much else you can do really aside from not letting paranoia over a car ruin your life. You could also get a lift I guess - stick the car way up in the air out of reach????

 

[Sinisfun]

That's terrible, the car cover I bought has a line and lock that came with it, so unless you cut the cover you won't get it off.

 

[freeon]

yeah that is brutal. I would upgrade your alarm to something with a pager (probably will not work in a parking garage) with proximity sensor. My car secures my garage. Walk in the garage and the car will page me telling me that someone is in there.

Not much else you can do really aside from not letting paranoia over a car ruin your life. You could also get a lift I guess - stick the car way up in the air out of reach????

I was going to get an alarm for my garage but your way might be better.What kind of alarm do you have in you car.And what is the cost.

 

[BioBanker]

i dont think that my way is better than alarming the garage and I want to do that too

Ive got one of a viper/compustar/clifford (dont want to post online). It was around $1300 installed. If you put a motion sensor inthe garage you would be covered.

 

[angus]

get a compustar pro , the pro model has the longest range and it has a lot of other good features over similar alarm/pagers, It works from the 27th floor ,with the car 4 levels underground! it will also flush your toilet and water your lawn.

 

[Joy2Drive]

If a pager alarm would in fact work from condo underground, then it's definitely worth while. Any one of Viper/Clifford/Compustar Pro sounds like a good option. I currently have one of these brand alarm albeit an older model without pager option. It might be time to upgrade.

As to car cover, I got one of those fitted covers (bought from HRANT) with cable lock across the bottom, but still doesn’t really protect/prevent someone from flipping over the cover and do something to her. What kind of cover/lock do you have Sinisfun?

It has just been a frustrating day knowing anyone can violate her and has enough time to get away without consequence. Even if I get a pager, the damage is done by the time I get down there. Maybe is time to buy a house with a garage.

 

[BioBanker]

Or a lift - theyre not expensive and would put your car up in the air away from prying hands. You could even rent out the space below it during the winter or you could park underneath yourself.

 

[BioBanker]

Yeah, reading Compustars site theyre now sayign that they have a 2 mile range.

Even if its 1/2 mile, that would be great.

 

[angus]

I have either the pro or the regular compustar on all my cars and the range is ridiculous - like ten city blocks on the pro - five or six on the regular one

 

[angus]

Or a lift - theyre not expensive and would put your car up in the air away from prying hands. You could even rent out the space below it during the winter or you could park underneath yourself.

ya - I'd love a lift in my condo underground, but the strata nazis (actually this is an insult to nazis!) would go ballistic! otherwise I would do it in a second!

 

[Red]

I'd worry that a trouble maker would get under the car and do MORE damage - if some sh1t head wants to damage your car and has access they'll do it - car cover or not, a brick will go through the windshield, etc.

I have storage space at Yonge and Elgin Mills - it would sleep with my racecar, my NSX Mikey's NSX, and some other nice cars - call me, or MikeyNSX to arrange it, if you like.

My guess is that it was a one off incident - not likely to happen again - probably kids.

 

[Joy2Drive]

Thanks RED, I hope you are right. Condo security actually had the incident on camera so they are trying to track this individual down.

I might take up your offer and will let you (and Mikey) know. That is if we get to a point where we would feel comfortable driving outside, and is most likely not until the end of March.. really sucks.

 

[Red]

You can always flat bed it to Mikey's place - but if you've go the guys then I assume you can see what they did as well?

Also, you can post some picts of them, that ought to scare them off.

 

[angus]

I'd worry that a trouble maker would get under the car and do MORE damage - if some sh1t head wants to damage your car and has access they'll do it - car cover or not, a brick will go through the windshield, etc.

the bottom on the parking lift is solid, not like a lift for service, I would do it in a second! it also has sides that are probably higher than a nsx rocker panel, don't think you could access the underside.

 

[swbatte]

I hate reading stories like this. Why are people so stupid?

I guess people who throw rocks at NSXs are never likely to own one.

I remember signing a lease for a place in St. Louis only to learn from a police officer before I moved in that it had a very high incidence of car theft there. He told me because I had a beautiful Prelude back then. So, I ate my deposit, and first month's rent and got another place the same day. The next day I drove to visit my family in London, and my car was stolen out of my girlfriend's driveway!!!

Stupid Americans following me up to Canada to steal my car.

 

[Joy2Drive]

You are funny Sean... They stole your Prelude?? Why yours?? Must be done up quite a bit.

This is the part I have to get use when owning exotics, the risk of getting her stolen. Then again, NSX is not a common car, and attract too much attention, so I am not too worried, but vandalism from some punk as* kid is a problem.

Now the decision is whether to confront this person on the incident, which I worry it would back fire and encourage him to do more next time on spite. From what I can see on tape, the whole incident took 90 secs, he took the cover off, he looked at the car, then look at the camera and walked away. We can't show proof he did any damage, but I suspect he did.

So now what, do I confront the guy, should I let condo management do it, or should I request management to post a general notice of the incident and put the guy on notice and advise that the act was caught on tape??

 

[swbatte]

Ya they stole it. The police told me they were professionals that flatbedded it away and since it had only been in the country for a few hours, it's likely they followed me. It was really done up. Before fast and the furious, there was Sean and the furious. It was totally built.

How much damage was done to your car?

I also would want to know what result you want from confronting them. There may be no upside to it, but a big downside. I think having the condo managers confront them would be better. Something like:

"We have concerns that you've been damaging cars in the parking garage. We'll be watching you and if there are more complaints filing the video with the police."

If you say "I saw you damage my car etc..." I think he'll do just that.
Get the car fixed. I had the cover stolen off of my NSX in a similar building. bought another, locked it on, never had another problem.

 

[Red]

I agree - have management do it - even go as far as having them be vague about what they caught him doing.

Also, with a bit of creativity you should be able to make the cover difficult to remove when locked - one solution would be a line that goes under the car and connects from the passenger door side of the cover to the drivers' side.

I can draw it for you and even splice you a rope with two loops to make sure it can only be cut - not untied.