On 17 Jun 2004 13:11:34 -0700,
[email protected] (Dmitriy) wrote:
>Has anybody ever tried to sue a school (university)
>over a stolen bike in New York (or elsewhere) and with
>what results?
I'm not a lawyer but that certainly never stopped me from
throwing in my two cents worth. If a car was broken into
while on a U.S. military base the military used to
reimburse for the damage to the vehicle and any items
stolen. I don't know if they continue this practice since
it has been some years since I served but I do remember
that the vehicle had to have been locked at the time of the
incident. If the military police found evidence that showed
the vehicle was unsecured the victim was not reimbursed. I
believe the idea was since the military base was closed and
protected by the federal government, the government assumed
responsibility of the items on it. To fully enjoy the
benefits of the government's responsibility the vehicle
owners had to comply with the basic security measures
directed by the post commander, such as locking the doors
when the vehicler was parked. It is probably stretching a
bit to try and apply the concept to a college campus but it
might make the administration stop and think for a bit. If
it is a closed campus and the college provides security,
which I will assume in New York, and the college provides
bicycle racks then the "not responsible for private
property" waiver may not be as strong as the administration
would like to believe.