For the past 5 years or so I've stored my 1988 Trans Am during the winter months (November thru April) at the same storage location about 20 minutes north of where I live near Madison, Wisconsin. I also store a pop-up camper at the same location but in a different building. Many people store various cars, RV's, boats, campers, ATV's, etc. here as well. It's basically a farm that has many pole barns that were originally used for an agricultural application. The buildings are clean, reasonably maintained with concrete floors and no interior columns. Access in and out is pretty easy.

Last Monday, March 8th, I received an email from the guy who manages this place. When I saw his name on the email I just assumed he was sending out his initial email about the buildings being opened up in early April for those who want to start taking their items out for the spring and summer. Then I read the title - Car Building Roof Collapse. My heart just kind of sank when as I read what had happened and viewed the photos he sent below.





Yes, that's my Medium Maui Blue Trans Am behind and under the roof and debris that is now on on the ground. It's believed this happened in mid February or so. We had had another large snowfall followed but subzero temperatures for about 10 days. No one works at this location on a daily basis and thus there is really no one coming in or out very often, plus this building sits way back on the property and not easy to see the roof until you get much closer. So it is believed the collapse happened 2 - 3 weeks before it was noticed.

On Tuesday morning I went out to get a closer look. A bit scary and potentially dangerous. I was very careful not to touch anything for risk of something else falling down. Here are a few more photos of my car and some of the others. Typically there are 20 - 25 cars stored in this building. For various reasons (Covid, etc) this past winter only 8 were stored here including mine. Two of the eight were stored on the north half where the roof did not collapse so they were spared.


















While I was waiting to hear back from my insurance company the manager of this place contacted me saying he wanted to move my car out if at all possible by shoring up a portion of the roof that was over my car and then pushing or pulling out. He said the roof was still creeping downward and more snow in the forecast would make things more miserable and cause more of the roof to collapse even further. He was able to jack up a small section of the roof structure that allowed my car to be pushed backwards a few feet and clear the stuff hanging down. A tow truck was then used to slowly pull the front end sideways enough that we could push the car past the area where the roof collapsed. Below are the photos following this maneuver.









The surprising thing was that despite the roof collapse, the damage was limited to two small scratches on the hood just below one of the louvers. Freaking miracle!!! The roof collapse appears to have started directly above my car. The big truss landed less than a foot to the passenger side just missing the mirror and hitting the ground. The rest of the roof then collapse to the south where five other vehicles remain buried. Despite all the broken wood pieces the truss and roof panels held together just enough to keep from severely impacting the hood, windshield or roof of my car. The metal and wood panels almost appeared to floating just a few inches over my car. The good Lord was looking over me. I'm very lucky. The other cars beyond mine I don't believe will be as lucky. Those cars cannot be moved until the collapsed roof materials are all extracted from above first using a backhoe with a big grapple.

I dropped-in the battery and drove my car to the nearest car wash it get off all the debris and insulation and to reinspect. Nothing more than those two scratches. I drove back and stored it again in one of the other buildings for safe keeping until May 1st.

All's well that ends well!

 

That sucks for sure. Good that your car wasn't too damaged

None of the pictures work for me. I just have the "do not enter" road sign where the picture should be

 

I can't see them either. Really sucks to hear

 

So glad to hear that the damage was minimal. Could have been (as you know) so much worse...

 

Can't see the pictures here, but I'm glad your ride escaped with what sounds like minimal damage.

 

Im glad the damage isn't terrible. Could have easily totaled the car out. Hate to see that beauty scratched but nothing that can't be corrected.

 

I'd like to see the pictures if you can get them to post.

Glad your car isn't too badly damaged.

 

Ahhh CRAP. Sorry to hear that, man. I also can't see the pics, so hopefully the damage isn't too terrible

 

Thanks for the comments guys. I've re-posted the photos. I hope you can all see them now.

 

Wow! Thankfully, minimal damage. That Jeep and Mustang look like they took a hit.

 

Thanks Chazman. Yes, the Jeep Wrangler and the '89 Mustang likley will have some front end damage. The photo with the blue tarp has a newer Mustang under it. In the photo it appears oil has spilled out all over the ground.

 

Wow! go play the lottery. That's amazing luck. Glad it didn't do any more damage than that.

 

Heck you got off real easy there. Good to see/hear!

 

I'm willing to bet that that happened from a leaky roof and time. The insulation got very heavy and eventually pulled the trusses down, walls came in as they got pulled on by trusses.
glad the car is ok.
I have 2 pole barns, same setup in that they were used for agg. I also do storage. Every year, multiple times I check on the roof, leaks, condition of wood etc. Dont even wanna think what my insurance would say, yes, i have storage insurance but damn. 2020 wake setting boat, 80k, is just 1 of the very expensive things I store.
thanks for sharing, big eye opener.
glad the car came out ok for the most part.
luckily the sucker didn't start on fire. I turn all breakers off.

 

Glad your car made it out ok, I'd take a couple scratches over totaled any day! Unfortunate for the others but that's life, unfortunately.

 

Unbelievable! I am so glad that your damage was as minimal as possible. It sucks to even have the scratches, but WOWSERS you dodged a bullet!!! Too bad you weren't closer, you could bring your car to our shop and I'd do the paint work on your hood

 

Wow. You really got lucky.

 

Wow what luck. I'd be hitting up their insurance company for at least a respray on the hood.

 

Wow! That's something else to see it come out from that pile of rubble!

My truck has been through 2 tornados now.

 

Thank Dagwood. That would be great it I were closer. I'm actually heading to Council Bluffs next week to check on a few projects I have out there but I see you are still north of I-80 a ways.

 

A good lesson to be learned for those who store their vehicles. You can take off the liability and collision but maintain the comprehensive. Comprehensive covers non-vehicle mishaps like this or hitting a deer, etc. Fortunately I am covered; however, I do have a $500 deductible. Still better to only have to paint the hood then potentially have the entire car considered totaled.

 

That's pretty amazing about your truck. Are you in tornado alley?

 

Yes.

 

I agree and also keep comprehensive throughout the winter storage months.

But shouldn't the building owner be responsible for the damage to your car?

 

Clicked on this thread expecting the worst. Glad to see that your car made it through almost entirely unscathed OP.

 

I had to look at the pics again, it's so amazing that's all that happened! I would have probably passed out walking in there and seeing that, I just bought mine last year and it took me over 30 years to get it, if that was mine I would have passed out lol

 

glad to see the damage was minimal, that really sucks for some of the other cars.

 

Thanks for reloading the photos....that's just crazy. You must be livin' right.

 

You got lucky. Go buy a lottery ticket now.

 

From what I understand the building owner is responsible for negligence, if there were any, like failing to properly maintain the buildings, not reasonably securing, etc. However, acts of God are not covered. Similar to when you rent an apartment. If a water pipe breaks and all your possessions are damaged by flooding, the apartment owner's insurance will not cover this which is why as a renter you need to have renters insurance to cover your own possessions. Sounds crappy I know but the building owner's insurance company would have no idea in advance the total value of the items stored there thus there would be no way to set the policy limits that could cover it all. So the burden of insuring the stored items in on the person storing the items.

 

Thanks Dave. I need to remember to send some thanks upstairs for sure!

 

Looks like you got pretty lucky... glad that beautiful bird will be ok... Always admired all the pictures and look forward to seeing more

 

Thanks for the comments. Yes, I'm very lucky. I will hopefully get it into the body shop sometime in May after I take it out of storage to have the hood repainted.

 

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Damn, dodged a bullet there. Hate to see that car get totaled.