'I wanted to cry': Ontario woman to pay nearly $9,000 in damage to uninsured parked car

An Ontario woman is on the hook for nearly $9,000 in damages after her uninsured car was hit while stored in a parking lot.

Shanise Richardson of Scarborough said after a former boyfriend smashed up her previous car her premiums skyrocketed to $1,000 a month.

“That's too much money for me. I have two little kids so I couldn't afford it," said Richardson.

Richardson decided to save money by parking her car and cancelling her insurance policy. She parked her 2021 Hyundai Sonata in her building's parking lot, but last summer another car smashed into it in a hit and run incident.

"They lost control out of nowhere there was a car parked next to mine. It was a white Lexus and it got hit and that car was pushed into mine," said Richardson.

While the driver left a note on Richardson’s windshield saying he would pay for the damage, later on he refused to and cut off all communication.

With no insurance of her own she is responsible to pay for the damage which is estimated to be about $8,600.

“I’m stuck having to basically pay for my own damage even though technically the accident wasn’t my fault,” said Richardson.

Matt Hands, vice president of insurance with Ratehub.ca, a website that allows you to search for and compare insurance companies, said comprehensive insurance is worth having for anyone who is parking or storing their car.

An Ontario woman's uninsured car was hit and damaged while parked. "You have collision insurance which protects your vehicle while your driving it and you have comprehensive coverage which protects it while it's parked. Comprehensive insurance will offer coverage in case the car is vandalized or stolen,” said Hands.

An earlier version of this story said that comprehensive insurance would have covered a hit and run accident. However, Anne Marie Thomas with the Insurance Bureau of Canada reached out to CTV News and said that’s not the case.

Thomas told CTV News “Collision is the coverage that the consumer would need to have in the event that a vehicle is damaged in a hit and run. Comprehensive coverage would not have protected the consumer in this case or any hit and run.” 

Hands said that comprehensive insurance is generally not expensive and that “what it affords you, is worth the cost."

Comprehensive insurance will also provide coverage for hail, fires and flooding or if a tree falls on your car. While it's not mandatory it may be required if a vehicle is leased.

Richardson said she was unaware she should have kept comprehensive insurance on her car which would have paid to repair the damage.

"I wanted to cry. I’ve learned a big lesson about the situation and comprehensive insurance," said Richardson.

Richardson is now saving her money and hopes that she will have enough to repair her car soon.