More than 48 million people are expected to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday, which means lots of flights and lots of cars parked in lots.
No one wants to come home to a smashed-out car window, but that's what happened to Jeff Gove in June.
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Gove took advantage of the airport parking deal at the Orlando Airport Marriott Lakeside because it was cheap to park there, and there was a free shuttle to the airport.
"We had actually parked there once before," said Gove. "They advertise on the internet for airport parking even if you don't stay there, and we did that and never had an issue. Since we were flying out early, we figured it was worth it to do it again this time."
But after nine nights away, he came back to an unexpected problem.
"I discovered the car with the window broken and some flimsy plastic taped to it," said Gove. I"I think it was maybe a trash bag or something from the hotel with some clear tape on it that was taped on the window. Then I looked around and there (were) about 10 other cars in the same area, all in the same condition."
Gove said he called the front desk from the parking lot.
"They finally transferred me to someone that had some knowledge of it and told me there (were) 30-something cars that had been broken into and told me that I'd be reimbursed for any damages," he said."
News 6 pulled police reports, which show that Gove was one of 15 victims in that incident. We also found that dozens of other cars were broken into there over the summer.
But five months later, Gove is still waiting for the money.
"They said, 'Get it fixed and send us the invoice,'" said Gove. "They offered to pay just slightly more than half of what the actual cost was. They claim it was not their responsibility."
Gove said he never saw a sign in June saying that the hotel wasn't responsible. When we checked the lot this week, we found a sign at the front gate.
"They're charging you to park there, and security should be part of that deal," said Gove. "They say they provide it by surveillance cameras and patrols, but then I guess when something happens, they claim that they're not responsible."
But people who use a hotel or lots for airport parking are parking at their own risk. In most cases, when it comes to crime, the parking lot or hotel is not liable. Laws can vary state to state, but often, the operator of the lot only has to make reasonable steps to make the area safe. That can include posting lights or security patrols.
Experts say it's up to you to protect your car as best you can. You can park either in view of exit toll booths or near shuttle kiosks. Also, don't back in,; park trunk out, so thieves can't use your car for cover while trying to get inside the trunk. If you can't see 100 feet at night, it's too dark,and you should move to a better-lit location. Always lock your doors and roll up windows, and the neater the car, the less likely it is that thieves will think you have something valuable stashed in it.
Gove said nothing was stolen out of his car. He just wants Marriott to make things right.
"Just pay me what they owe me for a broken window," he said.
News 6 spoke to a risk management representative from the company that owns the property, Columbia Sussex Corp. She said part of the reason why Gove's claim is difficult is because the hotel changed ownership shortly after his car was targeted. She said Gove's claim was going through corporate and Columbia Sussex wasn't liable for the incident because it happened before the company took ownership.
She said the previous owner wouldn't technically be liable either, but Marriott gave Gove an offer as a good-faith gesture.
She told News 6 that the hotel property has taken steps to ramp up security, including overnight patrols and hidden cameras that capture the parking lots.