Neighbour Hits Parked Car, Writes Note Admitting Fault

[flat16]

Yesterday, my mother returned to her allocated parking spot to find her rear bumper damaged and a note on the windscreen from a neighbour:

'Hi - am very sorry I crashed your car - I am willing to compensate the loss of all of you - please contact me, I live in no. 77 - Sorry, J'

My mother popped over and met her son, being told car owner was not around. He said: 'Please give us the bill and we will pay it'. The family's from Asia and the son said there was no point speaking to the mother as she doesn't speak English (hence the wording on the note).

I've told my mother that, however amicable she wants to keep things (the family lives next door to her, so you can understand that she wants to keep relations cordial), she has no option other than to inform her insurance and let them handle it. There is a strong possibility that the family will pay cash and all will be fine, but do you want to take that risk?

Today, a 'friend' of the family popped over to my mother and gave her the number for a repair centre. He asked her to call him before getting a quote so he can warn them she's coming. He also asked if she intends to claim in insurance...

I'm thinking one of two scenarios:

i) She's not totally legal, i.e. she doesn't have a UK license / insurance

ii) She has a 4x4 and, bearing in mind they're pricey to insure, doesn't want her premium to go up next year.

I'm going to predict that most people here will say 'get her to call her insurance now, don't delay'. However, my mother lives on her own and wants to keep things matey with the neighbours... As a good son, what would you do? The woman's been decent enough to put a note on my mother's car - she could've driven off and said nothing and gotten away with it (her car is barely marked - mother's plastic Civic bumper caved in easily when hit by the 4x4)

??

[hornetrider]

Get estimates first, then get the cash, then get the car done. Let's face it, most here would do the same (offer to pay outside of insurance).

Job jobbed. You should count yourself lucky the kindly neighbour left a note admitting liability and offering to pay for the damage.

[Magic919]

Get a quote, show it to neighbour. Will only take a day or two.

[Mr SFJ]

The least I would do is get quotes, 1 from her chosen shop, 1 from your mums. and present them to the neighbours. When they see it they might say no go to insurance, or pay up the cost.

[vxr8mate]

Maybe they just want to keep their no claims intact.

Getting it done without the insurance company's involvement is bound to be so much cheaper and if they were so divisive they probably wouldn't have left a note.

[flat16]

hornetrider said:

Get estimates first, then get the cash, then get the car done. Let's face it, most here would do the same (offer to pay outside of insurance).

Job jobbed.

Thanks.

Unless I browbeat her into calling the insurance and getting formal with the whole thing, this is what she's going to do.

First quote: £340 repair / bake bumper
£780 - new bumper, inc spraying

Mother favours the first option as she wants to keep things matey with the neighbours...

[hornetrider]

flat16 said:

Unless I browbeat her into calling the insurance and getting formal with the whole thing, this is what she's going to do.

And why would you do that? Sounds like your mother has her head screwed on.

[V8forweekends]

You can inform your insurer that a bump has happened and you're not claiming (in case there's any doubt about them cutting up funny later) if you like. Provided the repairs can be done in a way and to a standard your Ma is happy with, all is good.

I may not (actually really really don't) approve of people with various "irregularities" in their driving legality, but if they are neighbours, and especially decent enough to put a note on the car (which none of the 2/3 tts who have smashed into mine in the last two years has), then I'd avoid making trouble for them.

[gus607]

At least the neighbour had the balls to admit their error, full credit to them.

[flat16]

BTW -I posted here because I got nervous that, if she doesn't report to insurance immediately, that could risk a problem (why didn't you report it sooner?) if she spends a few days getting quotes and then neighbour gets moody and refuses to pay up. This *could* happen, right? But they left a note, so whatever happens, they don't have a leg to stand on, correct?

[mikeyr]

Seems similar to what hundreds of people do every day - I'd def keep the note (and get some photos of the damage) - but unless you have other reasons to suspect the driver doesn't have licence/insurance I'd take it at face value. Lot's of peeps try to avoid larger premiums by settling things this way.

If the bodyshop seems decent and you can see some examples of their work then why not go that route?

It will impact on your mum's premiums too if she claims (although nowhere near as much I'd imagine).

All comes down to the choice of bodyshop and getting agreement from the other parties that they are paying for the repair.

[flat16]

hornetrider said:

And why would you do that? Sounds like your mother has her head screwed on.

Because I got concerned that the doom-mongers here would tell me she was asking for problems by not notifying insurance :-) I was also concerned that I'd get scalded by the PH massive for potentially letting someone escape scrutiny when there's a chance they might not be totally legal, which is a major problem to us all.

[flat16]

V8forweekends said:

You can inform your insurer that a bump has happened and you're not claiming (in case there's any doubt about them cutting up funny later) if you like.

She did this a few yrs ago in a similar scenario. No claim was made. However, it didn't stop them massively increasing her premium the next yr. It was registered as a claim, even though no one was out of pocket. Eventually it was taken off her record and the premium came down, but only after a lot of annoying phone calls. Insurance firms do whatever they like to make profit. They have zero scruples.

[Efbe]

OP, listen to your mum, she is wise and right.


your suggestion will increase your mums premiums, increase the neighbours, cost more, probably involve a courtesy car and the repair done at an 'approved place' that will be crap, provide your mum with years worth of nuisance calls about whiplash, line some s in insurance pockets, cause a fallout with the neighbours, incentivise others not to admit liability, waste hours of everyones time with phone calls and paperwork, increase stress levels all round which amogst elderly can be life shortening.

[anonymous-user]

hornetrider said:

flat16 said:

Unless I browbeat her into calling the insurance and getting formal with the whole thing, this is what she's going to do.

And why would you do that? Sounds like your mother has her head screwed on.

Doesn't it just? Can't understand why son would put mother's NCB and claim record at risk.

[creampuff]

flat16 said:

I'm going to predict that most people here will say 'get her to call her insurance now, don't delay'. However, my mother lives on her own and wants to keep things matey with the neighbours... As a good son, what would you do? The woman's been decent enough to put a note on my mother's car - she could've driven off and said nothing and gotten away with it (her car is barely marked - mother's plastic Civic bumper caved in easily when hit by the 4x4)

Doing anything except letting your neighbour pay you cash is just totally, totally, really, totally fking retarded.

No good will come of going through insurance.

YOUR premiums will go up. The other parties premiums will also go up.

EVERYONE will lose money, including YOU.

Your own insurance premiums will be higher for the next 5 years.

As well, it will not be conducive for good neighbourly relations.

[Rude-boy]

creampuff said:

Doing anything except letting your neighbour pay you cash is just totally, totally, really, totally fking retarded.

No good will come of going through insurance.

YOUR premiums will go up. The other parties premiums will also go up.

EVERYONE will lose money, including YOU.

Your own insurance premiums will be higher for the next 5 years.

As well, it will not be conducive for good neighbourly relations.

How's it going to affect OP's insurance again...

(I think you meant "Your MUM'S...")

[anonymous-user]

Actually very common in Asia, my wife would do this, don't assume its a scam.

[Efbe]

Berw said:

Actually very common in Asia, my wife would do this, don't assume its a scam.

This is how it works in most asian countries.

Police will tell both parties to sort it out between you. Insurance only become involved if you can't afford to pay.

[jbsportstech]

Your mum informs her insurance for info only, does not make a claim.

Her bum is covered as she has complied with her insurance terms and conditions.

Then allow the neighbours to pay for the repair and keep in all sweet. If at any point they stop playing ball call your insurer again.

You can come unstuck not declaring the incidents to insurers as if the other party has reported it they may already know about it and you may be in breach of the terms and conditions.

My mum had a similar thing she was working and the women she was working with's father in law bumped her car outside the ladys house. He tells his son he will pay and makes off, mum never saw him of his car. My mum takes their word for it. I gave her the same advice she got a quote and he paid up through his daughter in law and her insurer didn't put up the policy just for reporting a minor bump.

Edited by jbsportstech on Tuesday 8th July 13:02