Who is at fault for this car theft?

[Deja Q]

Poll question: Who is at fault for this car theft?

:evilgrin:

[philosophie_en_rose]

1. People make mistakes. Criminals take advantage.

If I leave my keys in the car, it's not an invitation to take it. It wouldn't be smart for me to take that risk, but it's not an excuse for the theft.

[skygazer]

2. I was once told in Vermont that if I left my keys in the car

and it was stolen, I would be considered at fault. I don't remember if it was fully or partly but it was told to me by a cop. Whether or not he was correct, I don't know.

[China_cat]

7. In Florida, if you leave the keys in the car

and it gets stolen, the thief will most likely only be charged with using the vehicle without permission.

If you leave the keys, you're partially responsible.

[Laelth]

10. Well, perhaps the cop was referring to insurance contracts.

It's true that if you have a contract with an insurance company though which the insurance company will indemnify you (i.e. pay for property damage to your vehicle or the loss of your vehicle), then you have a duty to protect the insurance company's interests by locking your car. This is the case in most states, as I understand it. If you don't lock the car, and the insurance company can prove it, then they probably won't have to pay for your loss because you breached your contractual duty to them.

But just because the insurance company won't pay doesn't mean you're responsible for theft. An insurance contract can not change the criminal law. Those are two different beasts, altogether.

-Laelth

[LaraMN]

3. Someone I knew in high school had their car stolen out of thier driveway,

when they left it running. That's pretty ballsy, in a small town.

[anarch]

4. I blame society

[jeff30997]

5. Me!

Kiss my shinny metal ass

[noonwitch]

6. The thief is always at fault

I know this is going to make me sound old, but when I was a kid we used to leave our car in the driveway, with the door unlocked and the keys in the ignition. Moreover, we could run up to McDonald's for dinner and not lock up the house first.

Not that I would ever be that trusting now, in suburban Detroit or in Grand Rapids, but that was what it was like in GR in the 70s.

[dorkulon]

8. I agree

It's crazy that we've gotten to the point that, if something isn't locked up, we think it's ok to take it. It's not--it's theft, just easy theft.

[Laelth]

9. You have the right to expect that your property will not be stolen.

The thief is responsible for the theft. Let's not play blame the victim, k? :)

-Laelth