Senior living apartment complex plans to hire security after rash of car break-ins
MANOR, Texas (KXAN) — Just days after Christmas, residents at the Commons at Manor 55+ Apartments woke up to about a dozen cars with smashed windows.
One woman, Patricia, who didn’t want to publicize her last name due to safety concerns, couldn’t find her car in the morning at all.
“My car was broken into and was stolen, and it was used to break into a business,” she said. The police department confirmed that information with KXAN.
INVESTIGATION: DATA: Auto theft happens across Austin — 8% of cases ended in arrest
Patricia said most of her neighbors are retirees, so they’re on a fixed income – and this situation has put many in a financial bind.
“We feel trapped,” she said. “We are afraid.”
And they’re worried it will happen again because two of the complex’s security gates are broken.
“When you’ve got the front gates wide open, the back gates wide open, anyone can come in here,” Patricia said.
The property’s corporate office told KXAN it is aware of the break-ins, and that while trying to look into the crimes, staff realized the security cameras didn’t work. The office also told us camera repairs are underway, and the company is working to hire security patrols as they wait to receive the necessary parts to fix the gate.
“We live in a senior citizen complex, so we’re supposed to feel secure here,” she said.
The Manor Police Department said it investigated about 100 similar cases throughout the course of 2022.
How much does insurance cover if your car gets stolen?
According to the Insurance Council of Texas, the amount of money you would get reimbursed for a stolen car depends on your type of insurance. You need to have a full police report before you can begin the process.
If you have comprehensive coverage, “your insurance company would estimate damage and you can send the car for an estimate at a body shop of your choosing. If the car is repairable, the insurance company would pay for the damages. If the car is determined to be ‘totaled’ then the insurance company would pay you the estimated value of the auto,” Insurance Council’s Director of Communications Richard Johnson said.
To get insurance help with your rental car, your coverage has to include “Rental Car Reimbursement,” which, according to Johnson, “is usually limited to a dollar amount per day with a maximum total amount per claim.”
To access your rental car compensation, Johnson said you make a claim that includes the police report about the stolen car, and your insurance will then typically work with you to set up your rental car.
He recommends filing a police report as soon as possible to make this process move quickly.
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