Help, I think someone is trying to extort money from me by saying I hit their car

Herzlos

Who's to say it was uninsured. He just got insurance for it, but the previous owner (who could have been a friend/family member - he did deliver and park it for him) may have left the policy running. When I've swapped cars with my dad we've usually waited for a renewal to come up before changing the policies we normally trade up around renewal time)

InsideInsurance

agrinnall wrote: »

Is or isn't?

I've got the plague, thinking isnt my strong point today

Quentin

macman wrote: »

When I started reading this I was simply going to advise you to pass this to your insurers to deal with this idiot. But, since you had the car on the illegally on the public road without insurance, you'll not have that option.
You fail to mention if you have inspected his car to see if there is actually any 'big damage'?
Where you may come unstuck is if he asks his insurers to take up the claim and they find that your vehicle was uninsured-but I very much doubt if he'll take it that far-sounds like he's just after extorting a quick cash settlement from you. Deny any collision and it's then up to him to prove it.

You haven't read the op. And are just scaremongering

The car was insured prior to the alleged incident.

GeorgeDawes_2

Herzlos wrote: »

First of all, go and take lots of pictures of both cars as well as a video walk round of his. If there's no damage there you can just ignore it and tell him next time you see him that you've no evidence there's no damage, you've got a police reference number and assume that'll be the end of it. If there is damage, it might be a bit harder to do but you can hopefully determine that it wasn't caused by your car (the height is wrong, was on the wrong side, the shape doesn't match, whatever), and get a written statement from your friend that (a) you took every precaution to park properly, and (b) that you didn't make any contact with the car.

If you've got a police crime reference number and a reference from your insurance then you should be fine.

If you really want, you can draft up an official letter (posted with recorded delivery) denying any damage and asking him to take it up with your insurance company.

What does me sending him an official letter do exactly?

I saw him today and he pointed to some damage on his front bumper before suggesting that he takes it to the garage and get a quote for repair which I would then pay for. I have recorded this conversation.

There is NO damage to my vehicle, anywhere. I didn't reverse into his front because I was reversing into a space behind the vehicle which was behind his car (a motorcycle).

Quentin

As you are certain this is a false accusation you shouldn't be discussing paying anything.


If you get any correspondence over this then pass it on unanswered to your insurer to deal with

agrinnall

InsideInsurance wrote: »

I've got the plague, thinking isnt my strong point today

Try not to breathe any germs onto the forum then. Hope you feel better soon (although having just read A Lovely Time to Burn, the first part of Louise Welsh's Plague Trilogy, I have pandemic on my mind at the moment )

Herzlos

GeorgeDawes wrote: »

What does me sending him an official letter do exactly?

It makes it official, and shows that you've got every intention of continuing the discussion in a recordable way. See if you'll get his complaint in writing; it won't happen.

Just say "Can you give me that in writing so I can forward it to my insurance company?" and he'll just shut up.

Retrogamer

I would ignore him to be honest.

He can tell his insurance or the police you hit him all he wants but without an independent witness or video evidence he's not going to get anywhere. It's his word against yours and your friend.

RuthnJasper

hugoshavez wrote: »

What's a door number?

He means that the OP should knock on his front door and has given him his house number. 666, perhaps, judging by the sound of him...

Hope you get it sorted GeorgeDawes. Might be worth keeping a detailed diary of events, just in case. x

shaun_from_Africa

Retrogamer wrote: »

I would ignore him to be honest.

He can tell his insurance or the police you hit him all he wants but without an independent witness or video evidence he's not going to get anywhere. It's his word against yours and your friend.

As he sounds like the sort of person who doesn't mind being dishonest in order to get a few £s, I wouldn't put it past him to suddenly find an "independent" witness.
All he needs to say is that the person who saw the accident only just contacted him and with the way that insurance companies generally seem to opt for the easiest option, I could see them paying out on the word of the neighbour if they did manage to [STRIKE]find[/STRIKE] maunfacture a witness.