Neighbour dispute (fence paint on my car)
Discussion
They are in the wrong!
Have they actually 'seen' what they have done to your car?
Ask them politely to 'come and have a look at their handy work'.
Fence spray may be water-based but the longer it stays on there the harder it will be to remove. I'd just jet wash the bonnet and some of the glass area, if it doesn't come off with a soft wipe of microfibre cloth, that's it, I'd get someone out to quote (in front of them!).
Have they actually 'seen' what they have done to your car?
Ask them politely to 'come and have a look at their handy work'.
Fence spray may be water-based but the longer it stays on there the harder it will be to remove. I'd just jet wash the bonnet and some of the glass area, if it doesn't come off with a soft wipe of microfibre cloth, that's it, I'd get someone out to quote (in front of them!).
I totally sympathise.
A couple of years ago my neighbour's
gardeners/handymen sprayed her fence with fencepaint. So stupid were they that they failed to observe my Saab on the other side of the fence.
When I got home it was covered in brown spots, and it was actually pooled on the roof
If you haven't seen it close up you won't appreciate that it gets *everywhere*. Not just on the paintwork, but all the glass, trim, windscreen rubbers, tyres, in door shuts, panel gaps.
I spent about 4 hours with a clay bar, paint cleaner, polish, & wax. I did a pretty good job but 2 to 3 years later I am still finding the paint spots - most recently on headlamp wipers & blades.
As it was I popped round and mentioned it to her and said if her handymen were going to do a second coat could she let me know. She was mortified!
In retrospect what I wish I had done was get it detailed properly and let their insurance pay. This was on a 20 year old car.
On a brand new car I would expect nothing less than a top notch job done getting it sorted, none of this "give it a quick clay" bks.
Get a couple more quotes and pop round with them. Say you know it wasn't deliberate and it's just one of those unfortunate things, but it needs sorting. By all means show them the damage (although if they are not car people they probably won't see a problem
). If they're unhappy with the price, suggest they use their house insurance!
God alone knows what neighbour A's problem is! Depressing when relations can be ruined like this, but sounds like it's not your fault. Being a doormat isn't going to sort it out either...
A couple of years ago my neighbour's
gardeners/handymen sprayed her fence with fencepaint. So stupid were they that they failed to observe my Saab on the other side of the fence.When I got home it was covered in brown spots, and it was actually pooled on the roof
If you haven't seen it close up you won't appreciate that it gets *everywhere*. Not just on the paintwork, but all the glass, trim, windscreen rubbers, tyres, in door shuts, panel gaps.I spent about 4 hours with a clay bar, paint cleaner, polish, & wax. I did a pretty good job but 2 to 3 years later I am still finding the paint spots - most recently on headlamp wipers & blades.
As it was I popped round and mentioned it to her and said if her handymen were going to do a second coat could she let me know. She was mortified!
In retrospect what I wish I had done was get it detailed properly and let their insurance pay. This was on a 20 year old car.
On a brand new car I would expect nothing less than a top notch job done getting it sorted, none of this "give it a quick clay" b
ks.Get a couple more quotes and pop round with them. Say you know it wasn't deliberate and it's just one of those unfortunate things, but it needs sorting. By all means show them the damage (although if they are not car people they probably won't see a problem
). If they're unhappy with the price, suggest they use their house insurance!God alone knows what neighbour A's problem is! Depressing when relations can be ruined like this, but sounds like it's not your fault. Being a doormat isn't going to sort it out either...
Idiots should have used a brush, it does a better job, with about 10% of the mess. Feel for you OP, Have you got legal cover on your house insurance? If so, get it done, at whatever price, then get your insurance to recover the cost from them, whilst simultaneously setting up CCTV over the drive, in case they try getting some revenge.
Its such a shame things like this cannot be sorted amicably. If he'd told you when he'd done it, you could have minimised the damage before it dried.
Its such a shame things like this cannot be sorted amicably. If he'd told you when he'd done it, you could have minimised the damage before it dried.
streaky said:
What is the nature of the "fence paint", how far has it allegedly travelled, where has it fallen on the vehicle and what obstacles has is cleared in-between?
Streaky
its a red water based paint, which has been sat on the car approx 2 weeks (3 weeks now) as i was away for work and didnt know about it.Streaky
It travelled, probably about 15-20 feet, via my 2 other cars, and neighbour A's cars ( all are covered) l nothing else in the way other than the fence.
When I showed it to neighbour B last week, he aknowledged it, apologised and agreed I get a quote. The issue now is the GF has had a go, and Neighbour A and his pregnant wife are "siding" with them.
Even neighbour A, who happily blamed 'B', said he was 'a bit pissed off' with the paint on his cars, but didnt say anything. Now I'm the enemy for asking for it to be rectified.
Exact same thing happen to my E30 a few years back. I found it with paint spots, had the day off so spent a few hours polishing it off.
Decided to go and see the neighbor in the evening. They answered the door and bloke just turns to his wife and has a right 'I told you so', she then says "oh dear, I've just done another coat!"
I spent another few hours the next day polishing it off. Not impressed but the neighbor bought me a big autoglym bottle of polish and £20 halfords voucher to say sorry. Worked for me!
Decided to go and see the neighbor in the evening. They answered the door and bloke just turns to his wife and has a right 'I told you so', she then says "oh dear, I've just done another coat!"
I spent another few hours the next day polishing it off. Not impressed but the neighbor bought me a big autoglym bottle of polish and £20 halfords voucher to say sorry. Worked for me!
POORCARDEALER said:
Neighbour A.... Feck off you , nothing to do with you.
Neighbour B .... "it's a nearly new car, I work my bks off to pay for it...I will get it sorted as cheaply as I can for a proper job doing, but you are going to have to pay"
If they refuse, it's big fall out, court time
+1, nothing to do with you.Neighbour B .... "it's a nearly new car, I work my b
ks off to pay for it...I will get it sorted as cheaply as I can for a proper job doing, but you are going to have to pay"If they refuse, it's big fall out, court time
Fact is thy have 'accepted' responsibility, it's the 'mitigating their losses' bit you're now working on.
unless you have reason to overlook this screw up (they are fantastic generous and useful neighbours) three quotes, a straight to the point letter telling them you are doing this (with cheapest quote) and expect them/their insurance to recompense you. I would also state in the letter, in a throw away type of line, that they accepted its thir paint and that neighbour A also told you this, as it takes away a bit of any potential future denial.
Please note IANAL and good luck.
TigerS6 said:
Olivera said:
Log what with the police and why!?I don't think we're done here yet!
But I will go get a couple more quotes, but I can only image how that is going to go down with them! lol
Interesting comment re: the coarser clay, a quick google and some random website tells me "Auto Finesse Clay is a chunky fine-grade" and "3M Cleaner Clay comprises a mid-grade".
If the neighbour has house insurance then they (the insurance company) should handle it - they might ask you to get quotes and get it done or they may arrange it themselves, so you running around now could be a waste of time.
Edited by Deva Link on Saturday 21st July 13:09
Stu R said:
Try a rag and some thinners, works wonders.
The second one to mention something daft like this.White spirit and paint thinners dissolve paint. That's what they do. They don't have built-in intelligence as to what type/colour of paint they intend to remove.
What other kinds of advice do you offer? Cleaning rusty brake discs with olive oil?
jazzyjeff said:
Stu R said:
Try a rag and some thinners, works wonders.
The second one to mention something daft like this.White spirit and paint thinners dissolve paint. That's what they do. They don't have built-in intelligence as to what type/colour of paint they intend to remove.
What other kinds of advice do you offer? Cleaning rusty brake discs with olive oil?
It won't damage cured car paint.
Most traffic film remover is white spirit based, and even the OCD types on detailing world will happily use white spirit to remove tar spots / paint splashes of this kind.
jazzyjeff said:
Stu R said:
Try a rag and some thinners, works wonders.
The second one to mention something daft like this.White spirit and paint thinners dissolve paint. That's what they do. They don't have built-in intelligence as to what type/colour of paint they intend to remove.
What other kinds of advice do you offer? Cleaning rusty brake discs with olive oil?
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