Damage to my car on private land

[griffhnter]

For five years I have been doing work on site ever few months, and park on my customer's land. Last time whilst I was parked in the same place my car was damaged. Since no one last at home in the nearest house, I left a note. The lady of the house rang and admitted running into me. I am in discussion with her husband. He says they have bought the land on which I was parked (and I have no reason to doubt it although there is no indication on the ground). He also says there is £1000 damage to their car; my damage is similar if new parts are used. I have offered to use second hand parts if he does not want to involve his insurance and this will halve my claim. He says it should be knock for knock, since I was parked on his land. I do not have the registration number of their car nor details of their insurance. He is taking legal advise; what will be the outcome.

[nitrodave]

private land or not, they have admitted fault and you should just go through insurance.

[JustinP1]

griffhnter said:

He says it should be knock for knock, since I was parked on his land. I do not have the registration number of their car nor details of their insurance. He is taking legal advise; what will be the outcome.

The outcome will be IF he gets legal advice, which I doubt, that they will tell him he is talking bks.

Just ask for his insurance details. If he refuses, inform the police that they've refused to give them to you.

[Jasandjules]

So your vehicle was stationary and his wife drove into it and he thinks it is knock for knock?

[HantsRat]

Just go though insurance and play him at his own game.

[griffhnter]

JustinP1 said:

The outcome will be IF he gets legal advice, which I doubt, that they will tell him he is talking bks.

Just ask for his insurance details. If he refuses, inform the police that they've refused to give them to you.

Will the police be willing to get involved to obtain the car reg and the insurance details?

[anonymous-user]

Just tell your insurers and give them his name and address.

If you are Third Party Only, give them a week to sort themselves out then contact an accident management company and let them do their worst.

[HantsRat]

griffhnter said:

Will the police be willing to get involved to obtain the car reg and the insurance details?

No. Damage only and on private land.

Your insurance company will be able to get hold of his insurance details.

[Davel]

She damaged your car and admitted it, so advise your insurers.

The fact that he has bought the land does not entitle them to reduce your claim.

He is trying it on.

[PAULJ5555]

How can it be knock for knock if your car was not moving.

You gave him a fair chance and also tried to reduce his costs but he still wants to take the mick out of you.

Get a quote and tell him to pay now or you are calling your insurance.

[Aretnap]

Liability isn't affected by who the land belongs to - if you drive into a parked car you (or your insurers) get to pay for all the damage. If you don't like someone parking on your land that's a separate issue - it doesn't give you licence to drive into them.

If the land is private in the sense that it's not open to or used by the general public then that does affect the woman's obligations under the Road Traffic Act - she has no obligation to provide her insurance details for example. Hence the police probably won't be very interested. However if you can find out her insurance details you can approach her insurers directly if you like. If you can find out her registration number (eg by going back to the site and looking for her car) then you can get her insurance details from AskMID for a token fee.

Of course, if the husband is your customer (not quite clear from your post whether he is) then it might be wise to strike a balance between asserting your legal rights and staying on good terms with him.

[LoonR1]

Anybody care to explain knock for knock to me please? It's certainly not what anyone who's used it in this thread thinks it is though

Oh and 20 posts in 5 and a half years.

Half term frolics?

[TwigtheWonderkid]

griffhnter said:

He says it should be knock for knock,

Knock for knock hasn't existed in UK insurance for about 25 years.

[MrBarry123]

Davel said:

She damaged your car and admitted it, so advise your insurers.

The fact that he has bought the land does not entitle them to reduce your claim.

He is trying it on.

It's what you pay insurance for.

[griffhnter]

Thanks everyone.

[dacouch]

Imagine if it was true that if you or your property were damaged on someone else's private property by the land owner, that it went "Knock for Knock" (He actually means 50/50 but 50/50 means each party pays 50% of the other parties losses)

Can you imagine if someone was run over by a Tesco Lorry in a Tesco Supermarket Car Park and they were not entitled to make a claim due to this made up law.

He's talking 'ollox

[LoonR1]

dacouch said:

Imagine if it was true that if you or your property were damaged on someone else's private property by the land owner, that it went "Knock for Knock" (He actually means 50/50 but 50/50 means each party pays 50% of the other parties losses)

Can you imagine if someone was run over by a Tesco Lorry in a Tesco Supermarket Car Park and they were not entitled to make a claim due to this made up law.

He's talking 'ollox

I know he means 50/50, but I enjoy driving my earwig back to tarmac after a long day at blancmange.

[dacouch]

LoonR1 said:

I know he means 50/50, but I enjoy driving my earwig back to tarmac after a long day at blancmange.

I know you do, it was for the OP's benefit

[LoonR1]

dacouch said:

I know you do, it was for the OP's benefit

I just wanted to show those using it, how ridiculous it is when they use knock for knock to describe 50/50 though. Two things that are completely different and have virtually no connection to each other at all.