Damages Garage Door (neighbours)

Grecian123

Hi all. Hoping this is the correct forum.

Recently I accidentally reversed into my neighbour’s garage (my fault) and the tow bar bent the bottom of the door in the corner. I said I would pay for repair. It looks like easy repair as the bit that was damaged is not on the rails and should just need to be straightened back out. This was 4 months ago.

Yesterday my neighbour sent me a quote he received. However, this was for a brand new garage door, including fitting (about £1k). He hasn’t shown me anything to state it can’t be repaired. I’m going to see him later, but just wanted peace of mind that I’m not going mad in thinking that if it can be repaired, then this is all I would pay for? I am not paying for a brand new door if the old one can be fixed. I wouldn’t pay for a new car if I bumped into theirs.

Hoping I don’t need to go down the insurance route.

if he tries to argue the case that I should pay for a new door, would Citizens Advice be the best organisation to approach?

oldernonethewiser

You could ask him if he would mind if you got a couple of quotes and see what the difference might be. 

HampshireH

Why haven't you got a quote to repair it in The 4 months the since it happened?

Grecian123

HampshireH said:

Why haven't you got a quote to repair it in The 4 months the since it happened?

Because he had a handyman that he said at the time would come round to fix it. He kept delaying and delaying. At the time we saw this as the best option. In hindsight however, we should have got someone in too, but at the time it looked like it would be sorted. But getting a quote for a whole new door surprised us yesterday as the original plan was to repair it.

TELLIT01

It may not be as easy as you think to repair but, as that was the original conversation, I would have expected the neighbour to speak to you when they discovered repair wasn't practical.

cjdew

Take photos from different angles, and make contact with 3 garage door companies and ask for advice /quotes. Then approach your neighbour more informed... 

DullGreyGuy

They're entitled for it to be returned to the re-accident condition which presumably was A1 in terms of dents/physical form and paint (ie no brush marks etc). 

Obviously haven't seen the damage but most garage doors aren't just flat steel and removing all traces of the damage I wouldn't imagine is an easy job and probably leads to needing to repaint which means a seamless blending in of paint not just a few dabs of Hammerite.