Money Moral Dilemma: Should I pay for my excess dust?

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Comments

  • mr-tom_2
    mr-tom_2 Posts: 131 Forumite
    He's trying it on. Don't wash it, or that nasty scratch will be blamed on you and that could cost a fortune.

    Inevitably neighbours affect each other and there needs to be give and take. Tell him that he can have £5 (2 for the tesco value car wash and 3 for the petrol & his time to drive there and back).

    Tell him that if he accepts this, he must sign for it and acknowledge that it seals an agreement for your future encounters, so for example if he wants to make any noise (ever), he must pay for hotels plus travel plus your time etc.

    Also ask him how he got on with his previous neighbours. And then print this discussion thread and give it to the pathetic wa***r.
  • Hi,

    I'd suggest that to maintain / improve goodwill with the neighbour, paying for a car to be washed would be a good move. Another option might be to make use of any 'spare' teenage sons or daughters to clean the car for them...

    :)

    Paul
  • ChuckCash
    ChuckCash Posts: 65 Forumite
    A little courtesy on both sides and there would be no issue. Giving a little notice to the neighbour in the first place would be nice. Or the neighbour politely asking how he would like the situation remedied instead of pulling out the camera would also be, well, neighbourly.

    Photographing the dust indicates the neighbour is considering a legal option. Any common sense judgement would see the case thrown out. As common sense is now illegal, I predict record damages awarded to the guy with the dusty car.
  • ktb3
    ktb3 Posts: 6
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    scotsbob wrote: »
    Dust on neighbour's car today, some corrosive acid could spill on your new flag stones later in the year.

    Be a good neighbour and do the decent thing, be big.

    Mmm...bit of dust on the car vs. a charge of criminal damage! If I had neighbours that would retaliate to a bit of dust like that, I'd move!
  • My mumsie's just had her house redashed which caused lots of dust over next door's house. She noticed, knocked on and told the neighbours she'd sort it out when the builders had left, then arranged a window cleaner to come and clean all the windows and doors on her house and next door. Small price to pay for courtesy and keeping friendly with the neighbours. If you've just forked out for a new drive then surely a few quid for a car wash voucher wouldn't hurt too much?
    Starting my journey July 2011. Loan £15,683.94 [STRIKE]£17,681.33 [/STRIKE]/ OD1 £3800 / OD2 £0 [STRIKE]£1000 [/STRIKE]/ CC1 £193.34 [STRIKE]£2717.50 [/STRIKE]/ CC2 £362.98 [STRIKE]£462.98 [/STRIKE]/ Car £0.00[STRIKE]£1217.56[/STRIKE] /Next £0.00 [STRIKE]£339.17 [/STRIKE]Total £20,236.62 [STRIKE]£27,337.76[/STRIKE]
    For most people the definition of never-ending is 'eternal', in my world it's 'housework'...
  • We had our driveway and patio re-done earlier this year. It took 2 1/2 weeks. We informed all the neighbours who might be affected by lorries coming and going (4 in total), sought (and were granted) permission to use a neighbour's driveway to access ours for one day when supplies were being delivered and did all this as soon as we knew the dates the workmen would start. There was a fearful racket when stone was being cut, so we took any random opportunity when seeing neighbours to sympathise with the noise & assure them it would be short-lived. Once it was all over, I delivered nice wine, hand-selected chocolates, fruit baskets (according to the degree of inconvenience suffered) to 3 sets of neighbours who were all stunned by the gifts and assured me there had been little disruption anyway. This added cost was peanuts compared with the cost of work done.
    I feel very strongly that maintaining good relations with your neighbours wherever possible is essential. Obviously some people have unreasonable ones, but maybe the guy photographing his car was doing so in order to claim on his insurance who require photographic evidence of damage.
  • I am having some home improvements done soon, and am drafting a little note to the naighbours just explaining that we are having the work done, and for a short time there will be dust/ noise/ vehicles coming and going, but I hope it does not inconvenience anyone too much and if anyone would like further information regarding when disturbances are due to occur to come and see us so we can take their needs into account. I would have thought that was common courtesy, and would (hopefully) prevent this type of response (although I can see people being blocked in their drives by people delivering skips/ building material to be more likely to cause a problem). If this hasn't been done and there is a problem, I would ask the neighbour what would make it up to him, appologise for the inconvenience, and see what he says. I would rather pay a fiver for his car to be washed than end up falling out with it, afterall you never know when you are going to need a good neighbours support.
    September £10.00 a day challenge £2.50 per day = £75 for the month. £7.84 down £63.16 to go
  • aubergine
    aubergine Posts: 51 Forumite
    Blimey, I'm glad I don't live next door to most of you lot. Wouldn't you be a bit miffed if your neighbour had caused you cost or hassle?

    He's not festering quietly to himself, he's offered you the opportunity to put things right; if the work's finished apologise nicely and offer to pay for a professional handwash - really, how much would that cost and think of what you'd gain in terms of good neighbourly relations, worth far more than the possible tenner you might save.
  • What the hell has this got to do with money saving?
  • When we had our extension built 2 years ago, I made the point of telling all our neighbours about the work a few weeks in advance. I then reminded them about it in the week before.

    A further complication was that the house that ours is attached to was up for sale. We made sure that our departing neighbour knew that she could ask for any information that she wanted to ensure that a) her sale went through smoothly and b) there were no nasty surprises for our new neighbours.

    One day, on coming home from work, I noticed that the builders had put a support for their scaffold in to our neighbour's back garden. A quick visit to apologise smoothed that over (even though they hadn't noticed).

    The person in question really should have told the neighbours about the work. If this wasn't done, an offer of a car wash would (I think) be the best solution, plus advising how long the work will take. To be honest, I know that this is MSE, but I wouldn't skimp on the car wash. Pay for the top wash (£5-6) to reduce the likelihood of any animosity, you've got to live next to this person, after all!

    Interesting timing, as I've just had a call from a builder, to advise that he'll be starting some roughcasting on my front retaining wall in a week. I'll be knocking on my neighbour's door tonight, to let them know (and to ask if we can walk across their front garden, if necessary, with the kids). The postman, the delivery folk for the local free paper and the window cleaner do it, so it shouldn't be a problem for the short duration of the work.
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