Company policy and "premises"

[seamusTX]

Here's the situation: Company A owned an office building with secure parking garage and underlying land. Company policy prohibited weapons, ammunition, and other things like alcohol and illegal drugs on company property, including the parking garage.

Company A sold the real estate and buildings to company B, which is an investment firm. Company A now leases office space from company B, as do other companies in the same building. Company C manages the property (guards, cleaning, maintenance, and other functions).

Company A does not lease a specific area in the parking garage. Everyone who works in the building can park anywhere, except for some reserved spots.

Nothing is posted, except for ghostbusters signs on the entrance doors between the garage and offices. These signs are left over from when company A owned the whole thing.

The policy is unchanged. It says "company premises" and "property owned or leased by the company."

(Probably no one in the company really cares. These are standard policies which most large companies have, because lawyers told them they should.)

Does company A have any legal authority over the parking lot?

- Jim

[DustinB]

If I'm not mistaken, company property is company property. If it is against their rules they can fire you for it. Legal action can only be taken if the parking lot was posted with 30.06.

[Charles L. Cotton]

As Dustin said, Company A can fire any of its employees for violating the no guns policy, even if they are in cars in the parking garage.

However, it sounds as though Company A does not have any control over the parking garage as to other tenants. With a management company and a new owner, Company A would no longer have any control, unless it was delegated to it by the new owner. I'd bet a dollar to a donut that didn't happen.

Chas.

[seamusTX]

Thanks for your replies.

As a practical matter, it doesn't look like company A cares what goes on in the parking lot, as long as it doesn't get into the news.

- Jim