A MAN whose car was stolen from an airport parking lot ended up locked in a battle with his insurance company – shelling out twice for the same charge.
Josh Peresta, from Atlanta, flew to Miami for a business trip earlier this summer and returned to find his Infiniti Q50 Sedan missing from its space.
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He had snapped a picture of the parked car and its section in the lot – later retracing his steps to find it was no longer there.
Traffic cameras in the area later spotted thieves driving his car in northwest Atlanta, WRDW-TV reports.
A police report said the CCTV footage even captured the car being driven back to the airport twice in a bizarre twist.
Peresta filed a claim with his insurer Geico and said they agreed to declare the car a total loss at $35,000.
After filing all the paperwork, getting it notarised and sending it to Geico with the car keys, he got a nasty surprise.
Less than a week later Peresta said the firm told him Florida State Patrol had found his stolen car out near Orlando.
He had just put down a payment on a new car.
Geico cancelled the settlement, he said, forcing him to shed out for multiple car payments and insurance premiums.
He added: “That doesn’t include the lost sleep and the stress this has caused me.”
His battle with Geico stretched on for months, but was eventually sold.
Geico reversed their earlier decision to withdraw his settlement and gave him the original $35,000 cheque.
They even added reimbursements for additional car payments.
In the end, Peresta was given almost $39,000.
A spokesperson for the insurance company said: “We are sorry for the delay but are pleased to have resolved this matter for Mr. Peresta.”
Local police statistics from the state show 161 cars were stolen from the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport lot in 2024 – while only 35 were in 2023.
What to do if you car is reported stolen
If you report your car stolen and it’s recovered, there are steps to take to cancel the alarm that tells law enforcment to search for the vehicle.
- All you have to do to cancel the stolen car alarm is call the police and ask them to cancel the stolen vehicle alert.
- Informing officers that the automobile was found means the recovery will be listed on your title record.
- Until the police are notified of it being found and you’re sure the alert was canceled, it’s important not to use the vehicle or apply for plates/registration.
- If the vehicle is damaged at all once found, contact the covering auto insurance company.
- If it is found but the plates are missing from it, take a copy of form MV-78B to a DMV office.
- With that form, apply for new plates and reinstatement of your registration.
- SOURCE: NY State DMV
