Real Life MMD: Should I keep schtum over damaging neighbour's car?

halsteadk

jez33 wrote: »

how did your insurance go up if you had no claims protection?
or do you mean you had no 'no claims protection?

No claims protection only protects the number of years no claims bonus. You still have to inform insurers if you have had any accidents, and this may affect the overall premium - so you will get the same % discount, but off a higher premium.

tallgirld

Oh please how is this a dilemma. It is very simple. Your nephew was in your care at the time. Just tell the neighbour what happened. It was an accident.

If the neighbours were peeping out the window they probably saw what happened anyway so even more reason to own up.

duchy

hiper wrote: »

If you have a valuable car and don't wan't it stolen/vandalised/damaged then it should be safely placed in a garage.

.

A little impractical as most people actually use their cars -not noticed a garage at my local supermarket and most workplaces don't have individual garaging for each employee's car either.

I'm in the "If it was YOUR car what do you think should happen ?" camp and think the OP should man up and go talk to the neighbour .

These MMDs get sillier by the week-most are no-brainers

MrCarrot

I also have a pristine car and have been on the receiving end of these dents. I can also confirm they cost in the region of £50 to have them removed by a specialist (that's assuming it didn't break the paintwork).

All the time I see idiots swing their doors open into other cars without a care in the world. I'm not saying your nephew is an idiot - he's only a child - but I see grown adults doing this too.

I tend to park far, far away from anyone else to avoid this, but sometimes in a small car park this isn't possible.

Of course some people say it's only a car and doesn't matter. I wonder if those same people would feel the same if I put a little crack in the corner of their LCD TV screen, or got finger marks all over the photos in their personal photo albumn, etc. We all have things we care about, maybe more or less so than the next person. But if someone damages something we take pride in then they should own up and pay for it.

What I'm not clear on is whether your sister was there at the time or not? If she was, I would say she should have her child under control. If she wasn't and you were looking after him, then it is kind of your responsibility.

elvis86

Fishcakes wrote: »

Sounds like it is a very small mark to me. I suppose the decent thing to do is get your sister to talk to your neighbour. It was her child who did this and you cant be accountable for their actions.
I have to say though, people who are overly proud of their cars cut no ice with me, and people who have private number plates are egotistical morons. If it also happens to be a flash sports car then frankly they deserve to get the thing scratched :whistle:

hiper wrote: »

If you have a valuable car and don't wan't it stolen/vandalised/damaged then it should be safely placed in a garage.

Of course then those that you seek to impress can't see that you have such a nice thing nor read the plate!

To all you bitter (I imagine, poor) people who seem to have this weird idea that anyone who can afford anything nice deserves to have it wrecked by others, I ask;

If, once you've managed to get a better job/pay off your DMP/get off benefits/sort out whatever is making you poor (and bitter), you manage to save up and decide to treat yourself to something nice, are you honestly saying that you would fully expect and approve of someone else coming along and wrecking it??

I really can't comprehend your (bitter, jealous) logic, that people with nice things should expect them to be trashed?

spanielson

own up, might get away with it

floydy17

You should definitely own up to the neighbour! Someone recently did that to my car in a supermarket car park and didn't leave any details. It cost me £350 to get it repaired - either that or lose my no claims and face a hefty premium rise on the insurance! Think how you'd feel if it was your car . . .

BNT

The only reason I can think of for not owning up is to avoid paying for damage for which you are responsible. Whether it is you or your sister who talks to the neighbour I don't think is particularly important. If I were you, I should tell your sister what happened and say that you will talk to the neighbour. She might offer to go with you and pay some of the costs. If she doesn't, I shouldn't dream of asking her, though.

~Chameleon~

Do the decent thing and own up! My neighbour did exactly the same thing and my previously unblemished car now has a dent in the door, complete with matching paint colour of his car!! I even saw him do it but he denies everything so there's very little I can do about it. Needless to say we are no longer on friendly terms!

bitemebankers

I can't believe this is being posed as a question - there's no dilemma here. Someone's car was damaged and it has to be paid for by the person responsible for damaging it. End of!