Damage to My Car (Neighbour)

Burpingchimp

My neighbour left there 16 year old son over the weekend and he had a party.

I went out to our car, which is parked next to the neighbours garden and noticed their rugby ball next to the back wheel of the car. As it was raining I just threw the ball over the fence, like we do with all their balls that come over into our garden, and thought nothing more of it. On the Tuesday I went to fill my car with petrol (I hadn't driven it since the previous Friday) and noticed 2 dents in the car, one on the roof line and the other in the rear wing. On further inspection they was a white residue at point of contact, the same colour as the rugby ball. It appears that the ball has hit my car and then rebounded off the wall and hit it again!!

I went to see my neighbour and she advised me that some other boys turned up at the party uninvited and ended up stealing and damaging loads of her families things. She said she would get one of her friends round to look at the car as he was in the trade.

A couple of days went past and then my neighbour came to see me and asked if she could give my number to the father of the boy who went to the party uninvited and caused the damege and stole her things, as he was willing to pay the cost of the damage and replace all her things. I agreed but after a week I had not heard from him.

I went to see my neighbour again and she said that she can do without the stress and she would get her friend to come and look at the car with a view to repairing it.

That was a week ago.

I have had a quote done for the repair from my locar Renault garage (as it is a company car I would expect a Renault dealer to do the repair). The quote came in at just under £1000.

I don't expect that my neighbour is willing to pay this.

What can I do? Is it worth getting the police involved? Is it not criminal damage?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

the_insider

Your car got hit once by a ball thrown over a wall and then again after it hit the wall (with a much lower velocity) and it's caused £1000 worth of damage? Have you got a quote from anywhere else?

4743hudsonj

Well its unclear as to whether you are chasing your neighbour for this?

Let me start by saying they are certainly not responsible and you shouldnt seek a penny from them. However it is criminal damage, so if you can find out the person responsible (i dont see why she cant just supply details) then chase them.

I think the police would be useless, as there is no proof, just your work, so they couldnt do anything unless he admitted it!

Burpingchimp

Hi Thanks for your replies.

The reason it is costing so much is due to the whole roof having to be repainted. The majority of the costs are due to labour as all the windos on one side will have to come out due to where the damage is.

I thought that as it was my neighbours property that caused the damage they would be responsible for this?

If I can get the details of the person who did it and witnesses of them doing it I suppose that would be a start. However, Im not sure that I will be able to get that info. Therefore if I am not able to do so can I chase my neibour for the costs?

vuvuzela

Burpingchimp wrote: »

I thought that as it was my neighbours property that caused the damage they would be responsible for this?

Conversely if someone stole (for example) a gnome from your garden and chucked it through the window of your neighbour, would that be your responsibility ?
Just because their rugby ball was used doesn't make it their fault.

4743hudsonj

Burpingchimp wrote: »

Hi Thanks for your replies.

The reason it is costing so much is due to the whole roof having to be repainted. The majority of the costs are due to labour as all the windos on one side will have to come out due to where the damage is.

I thought that as it was my neighbours property that caused the damage they would be responsible for this?

If I can get the details of the person who did it and witnesses of them doing it I suppose that would be a start. However, Im not sure that I will be able to get that info. Therefore if I am not able to do so can I chase my neibour for the costs?

Absolutely not, and im a little surprised you cant see that. If you cant get their details, your stuck, its what insurance is for.

As for the cost, i can understand it when looking at a full respray etc but have you looked around? I cant imagine the damage is so bad to require a respray. I would imagine a non destructive dent puller would do the job, and a decent valet to remove the scuffs.

If you put pictures up i could advise better.

Hintza

You need to either get someone to admit damage or prove it was a certain person otherwise you have no claim.

Burpingchimp

If someone tell me how to upload pics I have just gone and taken a few???

The car is a bronze colour and only 2 months old!

jemb

Can you not speak to her and her son and tell her if it's not resolved you'll have to get the police involved? As seen as it was on her property then the only proof is it's come from her property and not some yob that was uninvited. I suppose it depends if you want to remain civil with her also.

4743hudsonj

Burpingchimp wrote: »

If someone tell me how to upload pics I have just gone and taken a few???

The car is a bronze colour and only 2 months old!

http://tinypic.com/

Choose the file
Click resize and then "message board"
Upload
Copy and paste IMG code into a message.

Burpingchimp

I am unable to post pics/links as I am a new user