The OP's claim might be a little tough (act of God) but if the tree was sick or poorly managed and trimmed, he might have a shot. Worth pursuing.

 

I am so sorry
Hope she gets well very soon
BeeBalm

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You know you own a Porsche when she has her own laundry hamper for all her colorful microfiber towels

 

My work's parking lot is vast with plenty of open spots. There is a smattering of spots that are under shade trees planted on sidewalks/medians in the lot. People clamor to park under them, hoping for some relief from the relentless Texas sun. I don't....
We are almost perpetually in drought conditions these last few years and one of the side effects is tree limbs randomly breaking off at any time, even more so when a wind/rain storm comes through. Accident waiting to happen.
I commiserate with the OP and agree with the suggestions of having a good detailer look at it, but I think asking the property owner to pay for it is a bit much. Parking where a tree might/could fall was his decision. I carry a $1K deductible for this type of damage, so it would come out of my pocket and I'd just suck it up. The car will shine again.

 

Oh wow...that probably worked out as well as it could. The fact that there are no dents is just amazing. Looks like just a matter of inches and it would have been a lot worse.

I assume the scratches are something you can't feel? If the scratches feel smooth and the back of your fingernail won't catch in them when running the back of your thumb very lightly across them then a detailer will take them right out. Even if they are a bit deeper a good detailer can do a fantastic job. Based on your description of the damage your car should be good as new after a good polish. I hope it all works out for you.

 

Agree here that it would be tough to get the property to pay for damages as they would claim act of God. If scratches are not deep, a good polishing with a buffer should get it out. If you are uncertain, best to have a professional detailer look at it.

 

Based on your description it appears as though only the clear coat has been damaged, and clear coat scratches can be polished out. You can run your fingernail lightly over the scratched areas to determine if the paint has been scratched. If the paint is damaged, the damaged areas can be minimized but not removed, unless you have the area repainted.

I would strongly recommend an exterior detail by a professional. Detailer prices vary but it shouldn't cost you more than $125. Most detailers have mobile vans, and will come to your house for a nominal price. I also live in MD and use Diamond Detailers, and they only charge $20 extra for detailing at your home.

 

No way! Closer to 10x's that amount. Quality detailers make at least $60/hour. This car will need more than 2 hours work. More like 20 hours. The whole car needs to be done or else you'll see uncorrected factory paint next to a near perfect paint, and that won't look right.

 

+1 get it done right ... its worth the money

 

A $1250 detailing?

 

Have you ever had a 911 professionally paint corrected and detailed?

When was the last time you requested a quote and had a test panel done by a professional detailer for a 911 to do proper paint correction and sealant/wax?

 

I'll say it again, its a $100k+ car, get a professional to make it right, nothing less will suffice.

 

The OP stated that he had superficial scratches on his car. The scratches are either in the clear coat or in the paint. If they are in the clear coat they can be quickly polished out. If they are in the paint, they can't be polished out even if they spend the 20 hours you cite. They can be minimized but not removed. Of course the area can be repainted, but no body shop in my area would hit you for 20 hours to repaint a hood if they expected to remain in business.

 

Never and never. I can see if it needs to be painted. But that much for an. Exterior detail just seems radically beyond reason.

 

I appreciate everyone's advice! You guys (and ladies) are great support!

A few points:
1. I am certainly not an expert on detailing...I know how to properly wash and wax the car and care for the interior. The details of how deep a scratch is and what level of detail it needs elude me (simple wax vs compound vs polish vs jewelers polish). I can tell you that there are many scratches that are not able to be felt - they are just visually there. That said, there are certainly a few that can be felt as you run your nail over it. They are not as deep as if someone keyed it (I have had that unfortunate experience too), but they are definitely there

2. I am not going to go after the property manager. I'm sure I could call them, complain, and get a lawyer, and write letters...but c'mon...what an aggravation. I just don't want to blow this up more than I have to. It's a crappy situation, but I'm a big boy, and if I can afford a $100K+ car, I think I can spring for a little detail job for the car.

3. To my NoVA neighbors - yes - crazy storms. I was actually trying to get my check to get out of there, but the waitress was too slow...I waited 20 minutes for the check...which obviously cost me this - totally blows.
The craziest thing about this is that my previous car (a 5 series BMW) was parked outside a restaurant in 2012 when that "derecho" storm blew thru, and a pretty sizable tree limb snapped and fell onto my hood. Again, no dents...just lots of bad scratches. The car was about 6 months old. I'm getting a little paranoid about parking underneath trees!
PS - I just had that buffed out by my regular car wash because I didn't really like the car (5 series), and didn't care very much that it was scratched up. But now my baby is hurt I'm willing to do anything to make her better!

4. Most importantly - does anyone have advice as to a good detailer in the Annapolis, MD area? I would love to have that AMMO NYC guy come down, but it's probably too long a hike for him. What awesome videos he has! If you haven't watched them, you definitely should!

 

Hurts to see. I was stuck in the same storm, I waited it out in a parking garage in Rockville though.

I did see a yellow 991 I sometimes see on the side of the road (Bowie mill) like 20mins before with a hundai or Kia. Hope he made it home safely also.