Who should cover the damage?

[HenryHippo]

My semi-detached house needed a little bit of work done. My side of the driveway is too narrow for a truck, but my neighbour was at work, so the truck straddled both driveways to get close to the house. (neighbour is fine with that)

A plastic drain cover on the neigbour's side then broke due to the weight of the truck. The drain cover on my side and those on the rest of the road are metal.

I took the insurance details from the truck driver (they said they would settle privately and noticed it was plastic and said they will replace with plastic).

Spoke to my neighbour who admitted when they moved in, they had to replace a drain cover and choose plastic not metal. (reading between the lines they tried to save a few quid going plastic....).

So who is to blame and should pay?

- Truck driver for crushing the drain cover?
- Neighbor for cheaping out on a plastic cover?
- Me for authorsing the works and allowing the truck to use the neighbours half of the drive?

[Vipers]

My humble opinion, trucking company, driver should have checked first.

Good luck.

[sociopath]

In what universe should the neighbour pay because you, or someone employed by you, broke something of theirs?

[anonymous-user]

Surely this is like £50 or something? Just buy the man another cheapst plastic drain cover and stop fking around

Truthfully, it'd be more important to keep good neighbourly relations and not look like a penny pinching bellend to dick around with the truck company waiting for them to sort it out.

[QBee]

My opinion, it should be shared 3 ways.

Neighbour, because he should have known that plastic goes brittle with exposure to sunlight over time.
You, because you gave permission for the truck to use property that wasn't yours.
The haulage company, because they know how the weight of trucks can cause damage.

The neighbour could now consider upgrading to metal upon replacement.

[BrickCounter]

Just get a cost for the cover and either replace itself or give the cash to the neighbour.

The lorry driver was helping you out by not delivering on the roadside and expecting you to move it, and it’s definitely not worth falling out with the neighbours over.

[anonymous-user]

QBee said:

The neighbour could now consider upgrading to metal upon replacement.

Why bother, it would have been fine for a million years if someone hadn't put a big fkoff truck on it

[prand]

stickleback123 said:

Surely this is like £50 or something? Just buy the man another cheapst plastic drain cover and stop fking around

Would be my choice too.

[HenryHippo]

Truck driver has said his firm will pay.... But upon reflection think it's unfair... how was he to know that it was a plastic draincover... and I ought to be the one paying

What will happen is, new plastic cover paid for by the truck driver. Neighbor is actually planning building work themselves and it will get broken again

[steveo3002]

id be up the builders merchant for a new one and replace it sharpish before they get chance to get upset about it

you can pay for allowing a truck on someone elses driveway

[AyBee]

HenryHippo said:

I took the insurance details from the truck driver (they said they would settle privately and noticed it was plastic and said they will replace with plastic).

Why does this even need to be asked given the above?

[sociopath]

QBee said:

My opinion, it should be shared 3 ways.

Neighbour, because he should have known that plastic goes brittle with exposure to sunlight over time.
You, because you gave permission for the truck to use property that wasn't yours.
The haulage company, because they know how the weight of trucks can cause damage.

The neighbour could now consider upgrading to metal upon replacement.

Why should the neighbour pay anything?
The neighbour didn't agree to anyone parking a truck on his drive.

I assume you'd be happy to share the cost if I knocked your fence down as you should have built a wall?

[Crumpet]

Certain expenses you just need to write off in life as it’s just not worth the stress and time wasted - and balanced, in this case, with neighbourly relations. For £100 or so just buy a new one for him and be done with it.

[thebraketester]

Buy your neighbour a new metal drain cover.

Move on.

Edited by thebraketester on Thursday 17th November 14:34

[ro250]

I can't actually believe the question is being asked!

You are liable. Whether you take that up with YOUR builder is another matter. It wouldn't matter if the drain cover was made out of glass, it's not your drive!

I can't imagine it's expensive, so replace it and keep on good terms with your neighbour.

[rapidude]

£50 tops. Just fix it for your neighbour and chase the truck company yourself. Don't make your neighbour wait for you or the truck company to sort it.
If a delivery truck dropping next door broke mine I'd be unhappy - but not as unhappy as if it was broken for months before being fixed. Relationship would decay over time as you still have to live there/see them most days.



Absurdly cheeky to even suggest that its your neighbours fault..... The buck stops with you.

Edited by rapidude on Thursday 17th November 14:36

[dundarach]

Given the damage you've already done to your neighbours drive, I'd be more worried about those cracks in the kitchen wall....

[normalbloke]

I’m gobsmacked this question is being asked. I’m then blown away by some of the responses by those hard of thinking.

[anonymous-user]

Are we talking about one of these?

https://www.toolstation.com/galvanised-cover-frame...

30 quid..?!?

You should have had it replaced before your neighbour got home!

[Draxindustries1]

thebraketester said:

Buy your neighbour a new metal drain cover.

Move on.

Edited by thebraketester on Thursday 17th November 14:34

This.
A galvanised drain cover is circa £12- £15.
Why dispute something like this when your neighbour let you use his side of the drive??