Blobster

About 6 or 7 weeks ago, the missus (god bless her) reversed her Picanto out of the drive and into the neighbours Fiesta. Result, £700 of damage to neighbour's car. We paid them to get it repaired but they still have not done it.
It seems that they have decided not to repair the car and have pocketed our cash.

What would you do?

Blobster

OllyK

You chose not to take it through the insurance, they chose not to get it done, not sure what the issue is. Have you actually asked them? It may be the garage is waiting on a part or such before booking in for repair.

Scooby Roo

As OllyK says, you pays the price for not going through insurance. They have no obligation to get repairs done, unless you have something in writing saying what the payment was for. Even then it's still up to them.

If there car is illegal to drive there are alternatives.......grass

Bad news and not very neighbourly but that seems to be the society we now live in.

Roo (more neighbourly than most in my area)

paulr

Wasnt the reason you paid so you didnt get stung on your insurance...........if so,nothing has changed.
Do nothing.

Blobster

I didn't choose not to. I gave them a choice. I didn't expect the damage to cost £££££'s. But seeing their car outside everyday still dented and our bank account £700 lighter makes me angry.
BTW this was the first time we'd spoken to the neighbours. (Not the best introduction I'll grant you).

I was mainly asking how to broach the subject with them?

Blobster

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

At the end of the day you have paid the right amount to compensate them for the damage. If they choose to try around with a bashed car, and are then willing to take the loss in value when they come to sell then I think thats fair enough.

A little cheeky, but I do not think there is a lot that you can do about it.

paulr

Yep,put it down to experience,they aint gonna pay you back.

Scooby Roo

Startby offering to t-cut out the damage for £700 or if that doesn't work you'll get the professionals in.....

Did you get something in writing saying that this was in full and final settlement..blah blah. Just a thought as if you go to them a ask for it to be fixed and it comes out at more than £700 you might find yourself forking out for more than ya bargained for.

Just my thoughts

Other than that approach them politely, if they get arsey take a massive dog next time

Roo

CooperS

Kick the rest of their panels in

ru'

Not being funny, but your missus drove into their car! What they do with the money is their business. I don't get it I'm afraid.

Wish

iTrader: (2)

Sorry mate. You have to leave it be.
You need to stop it winding you up, as its up to them what to do with the money. The car is going to be worth less when they come to sell it due to the damage.

jods

I suspect that you'd be only too happy to let it lie if he comes back to you and says that the damage is actually gonna cost £1400 to fix and he didn't know what to do.
Ask you for another £700 or forget it and keep £700 to numb the pain.

LG John

Do nothing You (well your wife) damaged there car. You have the a sum of money that is equal to the amount required to return their car to the condition it was in prior to your intervention - this is fair. In the management of their life they have chosen to invest that money in another way and that is there choice. If they chose to blow the money on booze or whatever then just leave them to it and laugh when they can't sell their dented car.

Nev

On a more worrying note, is there anything stopping them proceeding with the claim through the insurers anyway. I'd imagine that unless you could prove that you had compensated them, they could still go through insurance...leaving you significantly out of pocket.

Of course, they are your neighbours and would be excessively stupid to try something like that!!

davegtt

Same feeling here too, its their choice whether they get it fixed or not, theyve been compensated for the fact youve smashed their car in.. they either leave it like that or get it fixed, either way theyve been compensate and your off the hook.. forget it

Suresh

Do nothing. The 700 quid is to compensate them for damage caused in a no fault accident. Perhaps the best thing to do is teach your wife how to reverse properly?

Suresh,
Has never reversed into anything ever, honest

jasey

Another vote for "Forget about it".

In the Grand scheme of things this shouldn't be on your radar .

simo

^ I'm with him, just forget it. If that's all you have to worry about, result!

Patt@firstime

What he said really, nothing more needs doing IMO

Freak

absolutely nothing
you have compensated them- what they do with it is up to them.

Who knows- they may have booked it in for a months time when they are on holiday or something?

richardg

pretty much as above. i would also assume that you paid them by cheque (so there is a record of the payment), rather than by cash. if by cash and they were to go to their insurers it would potentially be your word against theirs unless there is a paper trail showing £700 withdrawn from your bank and £700 paid into theirs.

rr_ww

A few years back. I had a similar incident. Involving the front of my car and an old Cavalier.

Afte some negotiations (I had offered to buy the whole car) Paid £250 to the couple concerned. Got a cheque and a ridiculously worded disclaimer, saying they wouldnt claim on insurance or report it to the police etc etc. They signed it and when I saw the car a few weeks later. They hadnt made any repairs.

Im assuming you had a similar disclaimer?


EDIT: I would have baulked at £700 though and let it go through the insurance. The potential saving of your wifes NCB probably isnt that amount.