We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
Vehicle accident - hit someone's bollard
judygarland
Posts: 399 Forumite
in Motoring
I've been working at a house today that has a shared drive and at the end of that drive are two garages. The householder's and the next door neighbour's. The drives are quite narrow and just enough for the length and breadth of one car on each drive. The neighbour has erected 3 inch bollards along the boundary between the two drives and these are at 1 metre intervals and about 2 foot high. They extend as far forward as is possible right to the pavement. As the two houses are at the end of a cul de sac, the only way out is to drive off the drive and turn left. The way property is, you cannot turn right as the driveway is the end of the cul de sac. When sat in your car, the neighbour's house is to the left (nearside) and in order to avoid the bollard at the end of the neighbours drive, you have to drive straight until your back wheel is level with the bollard at the end of his drive and turn hard after that. Unfortunately, I clipped the end bollard with the side of my car causing about £1000 of damage to my car!
I got out and checked the damage and was pleased that I had not uprooted the bollard or caused any damage to it. I then drove off to get my lunch.
Whilst I was away, the neighbour knocked on the door of the house where I had been working, and told the householder what he had seen. When I pulled up on the drive, I was met by a very aggressive person and was rather taken aback. I was subjected to a barrage of abuse and I couldnt get a word in edgeways. He was ranting on that he had repaired the damage I had caused (!?) and that "how dare I not knock on his door and apologise". I explained that it was an accident, but still he carried on ranting. I reinterated that I had not deliberately used his bollard to cause damage to my car and apologised again.
He kept saying that it was not an issue but then would return again to give me more abuse. As I was packing up to leave, he started again going over and over again about it not being an issue. I think what had riled him was that I did not deny that the damage to my car had been made by contact with his bollard.
I've taken photos just in case I suddenly get a claim for damage through the post and this wound him up even more. He then said that "I've taken pictures of the damage you have done and your car, I've been in the law game too long"! I suspect that if I had not taken photos then the bollard would have been uprooted and an invoice on my doorstep!
He reckons that I damaged the paintwork on his bollard (not that I could see any) and he painted in the 30 minutes that I was away having lunch which I thought was a bit weird. Has he got a case against me?
The householder I was working for said that when he knocked on the door he was very aggressive towards them.
My impression is that he has too much time on his hands.
I got out and checked the damage and was pleased that I had not uprooted the bollard or caused any damage to it. I then drove off to get my lunch.
Whilst I was away, the neighbour knocked on the door of the house where I had been working, and told the householder what he had seen. When I pulled up on the drive, I was met by a very aggressive person and was rather taken aback. I was subjected to a barrage of abuse and I couldnt get a word in edgeways. He was ranting on that he had repaired the damage I had caused (!?) and that "how dare I not knock on his door and apologise". I explained that it was an accident, but still he carried on ranting. I reinterated that I had not deliberately used his bollard to cause damage to my car and apologised again.
He kept saying that it was not an issue but then would return again to give me more abuse. As I was packing up to leave, he started again going over and over again about it not being an issue. I think what had riled him was that I did not deny that the damage to my car had been made by contact with his bollard.
I've taken photos just in case I suddenly get a claim for damage through the post and this wound him up even more. He then said that "I've taken pictures of the damage you have done and your car, I've been in the law game too long"! I suspect that if I had not taken photos then the bollard would have been uprooted and an invoice on my doorstep!
He reckons that I damaged the paintwork on his bollard (not that I could see any) and he painted in the 30 minutes that I was away having lunch which I thought was a bit weird. Has he got a case against me?
The householder I was working for said that when he knocked on the door he was very aggressive towards them.
My impression is that he has too much time on his hands.
0
Comments
-
Just pass on any correspondence you get from him to your insurer. Not a lot you can do, other than make sure your insurer is aware of the circumstances (ie. make sure they have your side of the story!)
(He will have a case to have any damage you did to his property repaired at your cost)0 -
Just pass on any correspondence you get from him to your insurer. Not a lot you can do, other than make sure your insurer is aware of the circumstances (ie. make sure they have your side of the story!)
(He will have a case to have any damage you did to his property repaired at your cost)
I don't really think he has a case though. He reckons I damaged the paintwork on his bollard but I couldn't see any damage. He then painted the whole bollard in the 30 minutes I was away having lunch. The bollard is still bolt upright and has not moved and I've got a photo.
He hasn't asked for my insurance details and kept ranting about it not being an issue to which I said "well why are you still going on about it if it's not an issue" to which he replied, "you haven't apologised".
I've got a feeling that his wierd boundary marking bollards may contravene some local authority planning rules so am going to do a bit of research. His poor neighbours have a hell of a game getting on and of their drive and practically have to drive over communal grass to avoid these hideous things.0 -
judygarland wrote: »I don't really think he has a case though. He reckons I damaged the paintwork on his bollard but I couldn't see any damage. He then painted the whole bollard in the 30 minutes I was away having lunch. The bollard is still bolt upright and has not moved and I've got a photo.
He hasn't asked for my insurance details and kept ranting about it not being an issue to which I said "well why are you still going on about it if it's not an issue" to which he replied, "you haven't apologised".
I've got a feeling that his wierd boundary marking bollards may contravene some local authority planning rules so am going to do a bit of research. His poor neighbours have a hell of a game getting on and of their drive and practically have to drive over communal grass to avoid these hideous things.
Why has he not got a case, who hit it?0 -
Sgt_Pepper wrote: »Why has he not got a case, who hit it?
But there is no damage to his property and only my car is damaged? There is not even any paint evident on the dent on my car. It's kind of like him trying to make a case out of me trespassing on his property because my big toe went across his boundary.
Surely he needs to prove that I caused damage and seeing as there isn't any I'm thinking he has no-where to go. He reckons he painted the bollard as "it will go rusty". Why would someone do that? Surely, you would leave it as evidence.
I think he is the sort that gets off on aggrevation and has nothing else better to do in his retirement. He needs to chill and enjoy his latter years as at the rate he is going, he's will be end up with a heart attack. I've never met such an unreasonable person.0 -
He has acted correctly to minimise his losses. (You seem to be shooting the messenger here!)
You don't argue you hit his property - so leave him to make a claim agaist you if he wishes to. Wouldn't have hurt you to say sorry!
Your insurer will determine any liability you have, and if you are claiming anyway for your own damage, any pay out to the third party will all be part of the same claim.
If you aren't claiming for your own damage you can reimburse your insurer to retain your NCD if that is cost effective.0 -
He has acted correctly to minimise his losses. (You seem to be shooting the messenger here!)
You don't argue you hit his property - so leave him to make a claim agaist you if he wishes to. Wouldn't have hurt you to say sorry!
Your insurer will determine any liability you have, and if you are claiming anyway for your own damage, any pay out to the third party will all be part of the same claim.
If you aren't claiming for your own damage you can reimburse your insurer to retain your NCD if that is cost effective.
I apologised 3 times during his rant but he just kept going on and on and on about there being no issue. He just didnt want to listen to anything I had to say. It was as if I had just told him that I had not been anywhere near his bollard. He has not asked for my insurance details and but does he need them anyway because there was no damage. But then why has he taken photos. I took some photos also because I've got this feeling he is going to cause damage and say I did it. Luckily the owners of the house I worked on today are my witnesses. They were shocked by his over the top behaviour. They are two elderly sisters and nothing to do with it but even they were shocked by the way he was behaving.
I've got to go back to finish the job off so if he continues with his bizarre behaviour I'm just going to take video of him with my phone.
I'll just wait an see what happens next.0 -
He has acted correctly to minimise his losses. (You seem to be shooting the messenger here!)
You don't argue you hit his property - so leave him to make a claim agaist you if he wishes to. Wouldn't have hurt you to say sorry!
Your insurer will determine any liability you have, and if you are claiming anyway for your own damage, any pay out to the third party will all be part of the same claim.
If you aren't claiming for your own damage you can reimburse your insurer to retain your NCD if that is cost effective.
I suppose worst case scenario is the cost of a small tin of paint and a couple of quid to pay for his labour to touch up his bollard!0 -
Neighbour elderly too per chance?
Probably just looking for an excuse to have a moan, wouldn't surprise me if he put the bollards up just to eventually catch someone hitting them one day. Bet he had a nicely rehearsed speech (over several years in the making), which you ruined in seconds by admitting the "crime"..... tut tut!“I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”
<><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><> Don't forget to like and subscribe \/ \/ \/0 -
I suppose on the bright side you wont get a claim for whiplash injuries from him,Whilst not detracting from the fact a damage only accident occurred you mentioned the bollards were erected by him on the driveway,I assume they were placed on his section of the driveway and were not intruding on the drive of the persons home you were doing the work at?counting down the time I got left.:beer::beer:0
-
Strider590 wrote: »Neighbour elderly too per chance?
Probably just looking for an excuse to have a moan, wouldn't surprise me if he put the bollards up just to eventually catch someone hitting them one day. Bet he had a nicely rehearsed speech (over several years in the making), which you ruined in seconds by admitting the "crime"..... tut tut!
Yes, he is in his 70's according to his neighbours. They have only recently moved in and these bollards were erected after they were committed to buying the house. I've just looked up the house on google maps to see what it was like before. It's one of those modern estates where parking is difficult and you literally get the size if a car to park on. He has put these odd bollards all the way around his property and then one in the middle of the access of the drive. I remember when my grandma was in the early stages of dimensia and she started verbally attacked people who had parked their cars in front of the house, perfectly legally. She became very aware of the boundary of her property.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 346.6K Banking & Borrowing
- 251.3K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 451.4K Spending & Discounts
- 238.8K Work, Benefits & Business
- 614.2K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 174.7K Life & Family
- 252K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards