So This Happened Today

[Koz]

As many of you know, I run a hotel for a living. Next door to us was a restaurant that went out of business at the end of last year and has remained shuttered since then. This restaurant shares our driveway, but has its own parking lot.

 

The owner of that property posted No Trespassing signs throughout his property. I met him one day when he was posting the signs and he asked me to keep an eye on his property. I politely declined. He stopped by my hotel yesterday to complain that there was trash on his property and implied it was my fault. I politely told him that if I am out back of our hotel and see our guests going on his property that I point out the No Trespassing signs, but it is not my responsibility to watch his property.

 

So this morning a guest comes to the front desk and starts yelling at me because she parked in the restaurant parking lot last night and her car got towed. I explained to her that we do not own that property and have nothing to do with it, and there are No Trespassing signs present. She then proceeded to tell me that when her car was towed last night that she called the property owner and the police to complain. According to her, that property owner told her that I told him to tow her car.

 

Wait - what? Somehow I have the influence to tell another property owner what to do with his property and have him tow cars? How does that even make sense? Why would I concern myself with the parking lot of an out of business restaurant? In fact, when guests ask if they can park there we simply tell them that it is not our property, and that's what we told this woman. (I put a call in to that owner to find out if he did say that but he did not answer. I will call him tomorrow. If he did, he's an idiot avoiding his responsibility in getting her car towed. )

 

She then proceeded to tell me that MY HOTEL should put up warning signs not to park in the parking lot of another business. First off, we have no idea what the policy is of that and owner and I had never heard of cars being towed from there. Second, why would someone else's property be my responsibility? We have zero affiliation with that property. Here's an idea - take responsibility for your own actions and ignoring the No Trespassing signs.

 

If that owner doesn't want people in his parking lot, then block it off. But we're not going to police his parking lot. I think he's ticked because a month ago he found people camping on that property and recently the buyer he lined up for that property backed out and he's stuck with an empty building and no one wanting to buy it or lease it from him.

 

Tomorrow I'm off to the County Assessor's to see if, in fact, he has a proper county easement to use our entrance to connect to his parking lot. He probably does, but if he doesn't I will gladly block off his parking lot for him.

[MN Fisher]

Takes all kinds I guess.

 

And I agree with all your statements - his property, he should 'police' it.

[Glenn]

Losers blame everyone else for their own mistakes and lack of responsibility.  Winners take responsibility by the horns and create solutions.

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

- his property, he should 'police' it.

Like towing trespassers? 

[Koz]

5 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Like towing trespassers? 

Yes. And take responsibility for it. If it’s true - and I will find out - if he told the guest that I said to tow the car that’s ridiculous.

 

Why would I care if someone parked on his property? How would I even know when I wasn’t even on property?

[Bird]

Sounds like a Karen to me, you'll be in the wrong regardless.

[slonezp]

I find it funny how she disobeyed the neighbors no trespassing signs and then suggested you put up your own signs. 

[schplurg]

Thanks for reminding me why I like the solitude of fishing and hiking.

 

I sorta work for a retail store but I don't deal with the public. I hear the horror stories though. Sounds like you're on solid ground with these clowns.

[813basstard]

I managed hotels for 5 years, ran into this at times. 
The Reg card guests sign should cover contractually what the hotel is obligated for. Make sure the front desk staff explicitly tells each guests as well where they can and can’t park.

Parking tags/permits could be an idea as well. 
Secondly, make a business connect with the towing company where only you or your asst GM as the authority ti have a vehicle towed. 
 

This, and guests leaving their firearms out freely in their rooms and not using the safes we’re my biggest concerns 

[DitchPanda]

Yeah she sounds...yuck. Absolutely no self accountability in people these days. She's a moron who can't read and somehow its your fault? The world doesn't really give people what they deserve..but in your case I hope it does this time. Be cool if the cops somehow found a way to arrest her because her neighbors are cooking meth and she didn't stop them.

[Koz]

10 minutes ago, 813basstard said:

I managed hotels for 5 years, ran into this at times. 
The Reg card guests sign should cover contractually what the hotel is obligated for. Make sure the front desk staff explicitly tells each guests as well where they can and can’t park.

Parking tags/permits could be an idea as well. 
Secondly, make a business connect with the towing company where only you or your asst GM as the authority ti have a vehicle towed. 
 

This, and guests leaving their firearms out freely in their rooms and not using the safes we’re my biggest concerns 

We actually have a parking map and parking rules posted at the front desk. Even though we have 11 boat trailer specific parking spots (long enough for a truck and trailer) we get some people that think it's OK to park across 6 or 8 car parking spots. Parking rules are also on guest reg card.

 

Common sense dictates that I should not have to post parking rules for someone else's business.

[GRiver]

People don’t want to take responsibility for their actions….example he said you had the car towed, couldn’t even own up to making the call. 
Give warning to your customers.

[TOXIC]

Was there a need for her to park there?  Was your lot full?  Nonetheless, it was posted and she ignored it.

 

 Coming back to Virginia from Wisconsin one year and my wife made a reservation at a Hampton.  It was one we hadn’t stayed at before so I had her ask if they could accommodate my truck and 21ft boat.  They said yes, no problem.  We got there and there was a single row of parking all the way around the property and every space was taken.  I asked at the front desk what they meant when they said I could fit my truck and boat and they told me they just had trucks with trailers park across the street in a shopping center.  She assured me it wouldn’t get towed.  I had her put it in writing and I had her put us in a room facing the shopping center parking lot (also had a busy bar/club).  I have a lok-r-bar with an alarmed padlock but I still didn’t get much sleep that night.  

[Darth-Baiter]

yikes.  sounds like an awful problem.  the lady was ticked and needlessly had to find a victim.  shows her lack of character, but I can easily understand her frustration.  if she got towed from a store in the next town; it would be similar with respect to your responsibility.  

 

I would have offered her whatever sympathy I could muster, and offered her a ride to the tow lot.  shock and awe her with kindness.  hahaha..

[Koz]

7 hours ago, TOXIC said:

Was there a need for her to park there?  Was your lot full?  Nonetheless, it was posted and she ignored it.

 

We had more than enough spaces in our lot and had half a dozen boat/trailer spots available as well.

 

These are the signs at the entrance to the lot where she parked. That's three warnings that she drove past. They are impossible to miss. The yellow sign on the tree in the background is one of the many No Trespassing signs posted throughout that lot.

 

I blotted out the name of the business and the tow company. Where I blotted out the name of the business it states parking is for their customers only.