Guinness
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 01:09 PM |
|
|
Moral Dilemma
On Thursday night it was reeeaaaaallllllllllyyyyyy windy up North! At some point in the night I heard a big bang.
Got up on Friday morning, went out to my car to find a slate from next doors roof lying in bits next to my car
Amazingly it hit the tyre first, as the front wheels were at an angle, which must have taken some of the force out of it, but then bits have scrapped
down the drivers door and sill.
Not too deep, but white scratches on my jet black car.
I know it is a tile from next doors roof, as nearly all the houses near me have been re-roofed at some point (110 year old terrace). Unfortunately my
next door neighbour is in her 80's and obviously not cash rich.
So what do I do?
 
Slate 1
 
Slate 2
|
|
|
|
|
matt.c
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 01:22 PM |
|
|
doesn't matter if she is old. I live in an old peoples estate and all have more money then me!! If it was your roof tile and it landed on
there car they would probabily be banging on your door for compinsation. !!!
|
|
|
blakep82
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 01:23 PM |
|
|
its only (i say only...) a few scratches to the paint and not worth causing the old dear any greif, but let her know her roof needs sorting.
had the tile have landed in the middle of your roof it would be different.
i chose option 1 btw
edit: matt makes a good point too though
[Edited on 26/1/08 by blakep82]
________________________
IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083
don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!
|
|
|
zilspeed
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 01:24 PM |
|
|
I'm a big wuss, so in light of who your neighbour is, I would probably just take that one on the chin if it were me.
Life's a bitch etc.
|
|
|
thunderace
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 01:25 PM |
|
|
none!!
just pay for it youself .
shes an old lady tell her what happened and if she offers to pay then say thanks
only if she can afford it.
(its good carma)
claim your insurance if you have too.
or buff it our if its not dented.
if your near me i will buff it out for free(if it buffs out)im nr,glasgow
|
|
|
graememk
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 01:26 PM |
|
|
i know how you feel, i made an old couple pay for the damage she did to my car door with hers, its not my fault there old and skint they should of
saved harder..
if you could bodge a good fix do it and let her know if you cant tell her that you need her insurance details as her roof is buggered
|
|
|
RichieW
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 01:27 PM |
|
|
Pop round with the tile and see her and tell her that the tile has fell off her roof and she needs it sorting otherwise she'll get water
ingress. At this point you can tell her about the damage to your car in passing whilst playing the concerned neighbour. From there she may even offer
to pay for the damage but if she doesn't at least she's been told.
Old ladies always have money for gin, cats and bingo. I'm yet to meet a poor one yet. They all have accounts stashed everywhere with loads of
money in.
|
|
|
speedyxjs
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 01:29 PM |
|
|
Thats a tough one. If i were you id just go and tell her what has happened and if she offers to pay for it, let her and if she doesnt, either try to
make a deal (go halves) or deal with it yourself.
How long can i resist the temptation to drop a V8 in?
|
|
|
thebull
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 01:30 PM |
|
|
i would find out if your neighbour is insured and if she is ask if she will claim for the damage on her insurance
|
|
|
Paul TigerB6
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 02:25 PM |
|
|
As above ^^^^, surely its a case to claim off her buildings insurance. She will have surely need to sort her roof out too but why should you be left
with a bill for a couple of hundred pounds. Thats what insurance is for. Just keep it friendly and see what she says.
|
|
|
ex_hustler
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 02:25 PM |
|
|
We can all do the right and wrong or choose
to do nothing. . The option is always ours. It
is our actions and choises that makes us
humans and not thinking two-legged
animals..
In your position I would inform her that the
roof is about to collapse at her head and I
would try to repair that for a minimal cost.
Maybe you can ask her to pay the cost of
new tiles but do the job done by your self
at your freetime.
If you can build a car don't you think you can
easily repair minor damages to an 80 years
old poor lady roof?
Plus you buy a ticket to heaven doing good things with no exchange (just kidding about the last one)
[Edited on 26/1/08 by ex_hustler]
|
|
|
Paradoxia0
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 02:33 PM |
|
|
I would call round to recommend that she gets someone to have a look at her roof as you notice that there are a couple of tiles missing, and then
point out of said missing tiles it your car and has scratched it. If you then recommend that she speaks to her insurance company as they may pay to
get it repaired (if was wind damage after all!) and while she is speaking to them let them know that one of the flying tiles has damaged your
car....
Hopefully that will get things moving 
|
|
|
StevieB
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 03:11 PM |
|
|
The important thing is to make sure she gets her roof fixed ahead of all other considerations.
It's a duty we all have to underatke to mak sure our elderly neighbours are looked after, and if another tile comes loose it could cause far
worse problems!
|
|
|
mistergrumpy
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 03:35 PM |
|
|
I would let her know that her roof may start to leak and mention about the slate but asides from that I'd just get on with it. It's not
like she deliberately did it and it doesn't sound like her house is in a dilapidated state, just one of those things.
|
|
|
onzarob
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 04:00 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by RichieW
Old ladies always have money for gin, cats and bingo. I'm yet to meet a poor one yet. They all have accounts stashed everywhere with loads of
money in.
Glad you don't live next to my Gran. think that a very big generalisation there.
BTW I would let her know that the tiles come off and go from there, Just because she is 80 doesn't mean she incapable of understanding things
|
|
|
Guinness
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 04:03 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by RichieW
Old ladies always have money for gin, cats and bingo. I'm yet to meet a poor one yet. They all have accounts stashed everywhere with loads of
money in.
Richie, I wasn't aware you'd met her!
Thanks lads
As ever a balanced range of solutions to the problem in hand.
Cheers
Mike
|
|
|
JoelP
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 06:33 PM |
|
|
do you like the old dear? I see myself as an agent of karma, if she's been nice in the past id go out of my way for her, if she's been as
annoying as one of my ex neighbours then no chance. In the middle id probably fall on the helpful side. I wouldnt ask for money for the car though,
not for the money but for the stress it could cause her.
|
|
|
watsonpj
|
| posted on 26/1/08 at 07:42 PM |
|
|
I heard of this one before and got this quote of another site
"I called my car insurers, and they also said that houshold policies generally will not payout for such events as they are classed as
'acts of God' "
so I go with the fixit yourself and tell her about the dodgy roof. (especially as I like cats)
|
|
|
Mark Allanson
|
| posted on 27/1/08 at 09:14 PM |
|
|
'Acts of God' cases fall apart very quickly as the defendant needs to prove the existance of God.
Your problem is the old lady is only liable if she is prooved negligent. Was the roof badly maintained, if so you have a case. If it was fine before
the storm, then she is not negligent so no claim.
It is the old test case where a lorry kicked up a stone from the road and this hit the screen of a car following behind. The lorry driver had not
behaved negligently so was not liable for the damage.
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
|
|
|
Guinness
|
| posted on 27/1/08 at 09:56 PM |
|
|
Got a quote from a chips away dude today, £85 plus the VAT 
The roof is shot to bits. Been out to have a look today and there are three full slates just sitting there loose
Mike
|
|
|
RichieW
|
| posted on 27/1/08 at 10:05 PM |
|
|
Looks like your or the old dear have got off quite lightly. It's hard to get a mechanic to suck through his teeth and shake his head for 85
quid.
Hope you are parking elsewhere till the roof is fixed. I spotted a big heavy rotten tree blown down by the winds from Friday near my girlfriends today
so it could have been a lot worse in the big scheme of things rather than a loose tile.
|
|
|
davie h
|
| posted on 27/1/08 at 10:28 PM |
|
|
£85 isnt too much to take on the chin different if it was £850. have you spoke to the woman to let her know about the roof because the couple of
slates that are loose might end up falling and hitting someone
Davie
|
|
|
skydivepaul
|
| posted on 5/2/08 at 01:46 PM |
|
|
tape a copy of the invoice for the work needed for the car to the slate and throw it through her effing window.
if she doesnt pay up kill her cat!!!
only joking............................having a bad day today and that made me feel better
http://www.smartideasuk.com
http://www.smartmapping.co.uk
HD CCTV
3D design solutions and integration
IP security systems
access control systems
|
|
|
Guinness
|
| posted on 5/2/08 at 02:29 PM |
|
|
Update on this. I delegated the task of going next door to see the little old dear about her roof to my wife (who tells me she is much more
diplomatic and less threatening).
Yvonne came back seething. The next door neighbour couldn't care less. Didn't apologise for the damage. Didn't offer to pay.
Complained that getting her roof fixed "might cost thousands".
So I'm at a loss of what to do next. Still parking my car down the street though!
Mike
|
|
|
omega 24 v6
|
| posted on 5/2/08 at 05:41 PM |
|
|
 Seems to me there is also a safety issue here to be answered. Report it to the local authorities as a concerned citizen who
has already borne the brunt of it. Next time the milk bottles build up on her doorstep then don't care less untill the smell bothers you. And
before the do gooders comment. I'm in a shite humour after many shite days and am fed up of the not my job/not my problem /I don't care
brigade. Next time the wind blows throw a slate through her window at least you'll get your frustrations out.
If it looks wrong it probably is wrong.
|
|
|
