Neighbour's kid scratched my car

[Martin_M]

I seem to be pretty unlucky when it comes to new cars. I always park in the emptiest spot in car parks and I valet my car every week yet I always seem to end up with a dent or ding early on in my ownership.

My M135i lasted a few weeks before a stone bounced up from a lorry and chipped the windscreen. After that, my Abarth was dented by someone's door in a car park two months into my ownership and today, the little girl next door fell against my 3 month old Volvo whilst on her bike leaving a 2 inch scratch under my fuel cap which is through to the primer.

These things happen but God it's annoying. As stupid as this sounds, I don't have the same motivation to keep it pristine as I know it's been damaged - damn OCD!

Anyone have any similar tales?

[ezi]

Are your neighbours paying for the damage?

[Martin_M]

I have a good relationship with my neighbour but I'd feel really awkward going to his door or even mentioning it tbh. I know he would tell me to get it fixed and he'll pay for the repair but I just don't feel comfortable about bringing it up. If it was a deliberate act then that would be totally different but I think I'll put it down to experience - my car was parked half on the pavement in front of my house as I was putting sand between the monoblock. From now on, I reckon I'll keep the car in the drive at all times!

[HonestIago]

Martin_M said:

I have a good relationship with my neighbour but I'd feel really awkward going to his door or even mentioning it tbh. I know he would tell me to get it fixed and he'll pay for the repair but I just don't feel comfortable about bringing it up. If it was a deliberate act then that would be totally different but I think I'll put it down to experience - my car was parked half on the pavement in front of my house as I was putting sand between the monoblock. From now on, I reckon I'll keep the car in the drive at all times!

Why bother whinging on here then if you're too supine to request the neighbour pay the damage? It's hardly an unreasonable request. If the relationship is as good as you say then it won't be an issue.

[Martin_M]

HonestIago said:

Martin_M said:

I have a good relationship with my neighbour but I'd feel really awkward going to his door or even mentioning it tbh. I know he would tell me to get it fixed and he'll pay for the repair but I just don't feel comfortable about bringing it up. If it was a deliberate act then that would be totally different but I think I'll put it down to experience - my car was parked half on the pavement in front of my house as I was putting sand between the monoblock. From now on, I reckon I'll keep the car in the drive at all times!

Why bother whinging on here then if you're too supine to request the neighbour pay the damage? It's hardly an unreasonable request.

No need to be ignorant. I created a thread to allow others to share their experience whilst sharing my own at the same time.

I take your point about it not being unreasonable to highlight the damage but my other neighbour who I was talking to at the time did acknowledge that it's a difficult one and could understand me feeling a tad awkward about it.

[CoolHands]

I presume the post is a wind up anyway - if he's parked on the pavement he can hardly complain about a child knocking into it. On a separate note is a parent liable for something a child does if they have not been negligent? I don't think so.

[gforceg]

HonestIago said:

Martin_M said:

I have a good relationship with my neighbour but I'd feel really awkward going to his door or even mentioning it tbh. I know he would tell me to get it fixed and he'll pay for the repair but I just don't feel comfortable about bringing it up. If it was a deliberate act then that would be totally different but I think I'll put it down to experience - my car was parked half on the pavement in front of my house as I was putting sand between the monoblock. From now on, I reckon I'll keep the car in the drive at all times!

Why bother whinging on here then if you're too supine to request the neighbour pay the damage? It's hardly an unreasonable request. If the relationship is as good as you say then it won't be an issue.

That seems a bit sharp.

I'd say the parking half on the pavement might have played a part but, hey, a kid's got to cycle somewhere!

It's a Universal Fact that the more you care about your car the more dents scuffs and scrapes are attracted to it.

[9mm]

I think you're going to be short on sympathy as a result of parking on the pavement.

[Martin_M]

CoolHands said:

I presume the post is a wind up anyway - if he's parked on the pavement he can hardly complain about a child knocking into it. On a separate note is a parent liable for something a child does if they have not been negligent? I don't think so.

Why would I create a post to wind people up? I was parked with my two offside wheels on the kerb as per every other resident on my street to allow cars using the road to pass.

[ging84]

i think i could make a killing, starting a business where i pick up people's new cars direct from the factory, load them into a container so they can be shipped to a secure location, and permanently stored while the owners rent a £1k shed from me

[J4CKO]

So annoying, my youngest dopey mate, despite repeatedly being told to watch his bike near the car is stood there and drops it onto the car, the end of the handlebar leaving a splendid dent which was not removable, he managed to avoid the trim strip by 1 cm where it would not have dented. I was really, really pissed off.

Annoying obnoxious little turd he was, never see him now, thankfully

That Ford Galaxy copped for so much damage at the hands of other people, we didnt put so much as a scuff on it,

The BMX handlebar incident

Someone smashed the mirror casing because they cant drive

numerous knocks and dents, one a posh woman in a Range Rover just slammed her door into it whilst my wife was in it and walked off as my wife was trying to remonstrate, I would have ensure her RR had some similar, perhaps worse damage after that.

Old bloke in a Jag couldnt reverse out, grazed one wheelarch, someone saw him and left his reg, he denied all knowledge, I sincerely hope he has left this world now based on his conduct, old .

But, the little girl, just need to duck that one up, your neighbour seems decent, same happened to my car, the neighbours kids got a ball stuck in a tree and decided to lob stones to dislodge it, only my car was underneath, a few dents and a smashed rear screen, the dads offered to pay but we were new to the area and decided to just sort it, what did they expect, kids are pretty stupid sometimes.

[CoolHands]

Martin_M said:

Why would I create a post to wind people up? I was parked with my two offside wheels on the kerb as per every other resident on my street to allow cars using the road to pass.

well I don't know. I just thought complaining your car got scratched and then saying it was parked half up on the pavement was a good way to entice readers to get all high & mighty.

[Martin_M]

9mm said:

I think you're going to be short on sympathy as a result of parking on the pavement.

It's a fair point you make. It's a fairly quiet residential street but to park fully on the road would make it pretty tight for other cars passing. For what it's worth, I wasn't blocking the pavement and to be honest, I'm not complaining about the child falling into the car - more just sharing my misfortune with others.

[Actual]

Martin_M said:

No need to be ignorant. I created a thread to allow others to share their experience whilst sharing my own at the same time.

I share my experience...When my son was learning to ride his bike by riding on the pavement (legally) and had to ride between cars parked on the pavement (illegally) I would call out very loudly hoping the owners would hear "DONT SCRATCH THAT CAR PARKED ON THE PAVEMENT". He never did scratch the cars and now he drives a BMW.

[Martin_M]

J4CKO said:

So annoying, my youngest dopey mate, despite repeatedly being told to watch his bike near the car is stood there and drops it onto the car, the end of the handlebar leaving a splendid dent which was not removable, he managed to avoid the trim strip by 1 cm where it would not have dented. I was really, really pissed off.

Annoying obnoxious little turd he was, never see him now, thankfully

That Ford Galaxy copped for so much damage at the hands of other people, we didnt put so much as a scuff on it,

The BMX handlebar incident

Someone smashed the mirror casing because they cant drive

numerous knocks and dents, one a posh woman in a Range Rover just slammed her door into it whilst my wife was in it and walked off as my wife was trying to remonstrate, I would have ensure her RR had some similar, perhaps worse damage after that.

Old bloke in a Jag couldnt reverse out, grazed one wheelarch, someone saw him and left his reg, he denied all knowledge, I sincerely hope he has left this world now based on his conduct, old .

But, the little girl, just need to duck that one up, your neighbour seems decent, same happened to my car, the neighbours kids got a ball stuck in a tree and decided to lob stones to dislodge it, only my car was underneath, a few dents and a smashed rear screen, the dads offered to pay but we were new to the area and decided to just sort it, what did they expect, kids are pretty stupid sometimes.

You speak sense sir - and thanks for your advice.

[PipG]

I sympathise.
Like you I am rather anal about my cars, irrespective of what or how old they are, they are always kept immaculate. I too go to great lengths to try and avoid moron damage but it still happens from time to time.
Many years ago when I owned a rather nice 1600E Cortina my wife insisted we needed to drop in at the local Asda on the way home from a show. I parked the car as far away from the store as possible, there was nothing on that side of the car park at all and the rest was half empty. We returned to the car to find a woman with an almost new Volvo parked next to the 1600E. She had planted a large cardboard box on my bootlid while she opened the boot of her car. When I remonstrated with her she told me I shouldn't be getting so upset as it was 'only an old car'! I just picked up her box and threw it on the roof of her Volvo at which point she threatened to call the police and have me charged with criminal damage!!! My wife had to drag me away.
Like you, if it was damaged by a neighbour's child and especially if I had a good relationship with them I would be reluctant to sour it, particularly as it was parked partly on the pavement.

[SmilerFTM]

My latest MX-5 seems to attract dents and scratches. It's had the wing mirror snapped off which scratched the bodywork as well. This was while I was on a date and it was parked in a street. You could tell it was another car driving past that had done it but remarkably the X5 in front and the C-Class behind both were unscathed yet my tiny Mazda and been damaged, I'm still not sure how the driver had missed those two yet managed to hit mine.
While I was in a supermarket someone took a disliking to it and keyed the passengers side (3 panels worth), someone opened the door into the drivers side door on another occasion at a different supermarket.
I went into work one evening for a nightshift and came out to find the front passenger side wheel arch had the misfortune of being hit by someone leaving damage to the wing panel and the bumper.
I have noticed a strange dent in the passenger side door recently which has damaged the paintwork as well, I can't for the life of me figure out what has done that. Just need to get it fixed when I can afford it. I just wish for once I could see the person doing it (with other witnesses) so I can actually get it repaired by the person damaging the ruddy thing.

[caelite]

I know the feeling. Bought a 9 year old car that was in really good nick for its age, and as such I paid a bit of a premium. Sadly I worked in a supermarket until a month ago so it was sitting in the car park 6-9 hours a day and its just absolutely ruined the car. Waitrose seems to be particularly bad for it, way too many mums in SUVs to big for them to park with kids too stty to care when they slam the back doors into other cars. It genuinely began to feel like EVERY day I would come out from a 9 hour shift to find another dent or scuff, sadly the car park CCTV cameras only cover the front door and is thus useless for tracking folk down.

Lifes a bh I suppose.

[ORD]

OP has more money than balls.

[HannsG]

I feel bad your car got damaged.

However, knowingly parking it on a pavement when you probably know kids will be out playing is a bit of a dumb move.

Hence why my car is always on my drive. Hell, my house is surrounded by conifers and has its own private drive. If I was to be murdered no one would probably hear me scream or find my body for days.

But I still park my car on my drive. And they aint nothing special.

A 10 year old E46 M3 and a 2008 Saab Estate TTiD