Took advantage of the nice day (in the North West anyway) to wash my daughters car for tthe first time for a while.
I was dismayed to find the the bonnet has an indentation the size of a jacket button, but with the paint undamaged. An inch or so away from the dent is styling 'crease' and the paint for 3 inches or so has cracked open.
This is going to have to be repaired, and on her 18mth old metallic black car, it aint going to be cheap.
There's no doubt in my mind that the damage was caused by a rocket, several of which landed amongst our cars after a neighbours Nov 5th party. I still have the offending items and they fit the dent perfectly, and explain why the paint in the dent is undamaged (although a surprising dent from a cardboard tube).
Of course I'm kicking myself that I didn't spot this earlier, and I'm loath to pursue a hopeless cause, but does anybody think I've got a realistic chance of getting him to pay? Would his house insurance (liability to third parties) cover such an event?
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Nine weeks after the event and with no 'proof' as to which neighbour's rocket may have done the damage I don't fancy your chances at all. MrDent and/or Chips away etc may do you a very good repair for less than £100.
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If I were your neighbour, upon being presented with the rocket in question, I would say "Prove it was mine".
Unless he's in the habit of writing his name and address on them before launch, I think you may be paddleless and rather far up a creek.
Sorry.
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Agree with Adam,so many had fireworks last year it would be impossible to say where it come from,would also say next door is unlikely to cause it as they dont,*ie firework travel in direction intended
*they are not directional and choose their own path depending on dampness of air and balance which as many find out makes fireworks dangerous
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Steve
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Rather than thinkin of sueing, why not simply go around to your neighbour and explain what's happened in a non-accusatory sort of way. Stressing that you don't know whether it was their fireworks or someone else's who did the damage, you could ask whether they might perhaps think of doing next year's fireworks display further away from everyone's houses?
If the neighbour is half-way decent and you do it in a polite and friendly style, you might get a very sympathetic response. I'd have thought that you would have a much better chance of getting a contribution to your repair costs that sort of implicit appeal to decency than by any suggestion of making a claim.
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Rather than thinking of suing..
I'm certainly not thinking of suing (did you read that from 'pursue' in my original post)?
If push comes to shove, it would be difficult to prove they?re his fireworks, although the guy did have the most ferocious fireworks, well beyond anything reasonable for a standard suburban housing estate garden, on both Bonfire night and New Years Eve (and nobody else around here did).
The paintwork damage on the car (crack in the paint along the line of crease) is such that I?m pretty certain the bonnet needs repainting. Irritating enough in itself ? the inconvenience, plus they?re never as a good as original ? quite apart from the cost.
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>> Rather than thinking of suing.. I'm certainly not thinking of suing (did you read that from 'pursue' in my original post)?
Sorry for the misinterpretation, Bill Payer.
I did indeed that impression from "pursue", which seemed to me to imply a sort of pay-up-or-I'll-sue approach ... but I should have asked rather than make the assumption.
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That's the impression I got as well (which is why I kept out of it). Too late I feel personally. Put yourself in his position what would you say if thus pursued.
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To be honest, as pointed out, you don't have a cat in hell's chance of getting any neighbour to pay for the damage to the vehicle - it's virtually unproveable that they were responsible for setting off the particular firework involved.
The more powerful rocket type of fireworks can travel quite some distance, especially if it is windy, and it could have come from anywhere.
My own property's gardens and the street regularly feature remains of fireworks that have been let off (it unfortunately seems to be an all-year round activity these days); some have plastic sections which could cause damage on impact because of the force involved.
In my view (mainly because of the sheer noise that modern fireworks are capable of making rather than merely being a killjoy) is that only public, rather than private, firework displays should be permitted.
Why should animals, along with many young children would are in bed, be so disturbed by the release of fireworks all year round?
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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That's the impression I got as well (which is why I kept out of it). Too late I feel personally. Put yourself in his position what would you say if thus pursued.
That's really why I asked whether his house insurance (liability to 3rd parties) would be likely to cover him, bearing in mind a door dent cost me £250 a few yrs ago, I would think this is a £500 job.
He may be more amenable if it isn't actually going to cost him anything.
If it was me, I'd contact my insurance company and let them deal with it. They may have a repairer that they'd want to use anyway.
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You provide the proof and they might pay, but has been previously stated, you don't have any - or rather none that would stand up.
Chris M
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You provide the proof and they might pay, but has been previously stated, you don't have any - or rather none that would stand up.
I'm really not going to go down the 'sue him' road - however his displays were such that I don't I'd have any problems getting half a dozen neighbours to support my position.
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"If it was me, I'd contact my insurance company and let them deal with it. They may have a repairer that they'd want to use anyway."
They wouldnt pay out anyway as you have no proof.
Hopeless case I am afraid.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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"If it was me, I'd contact my insurance company and let them deal with it. They may have a repairer that they'd want to use anyway." They wouldnt pay out anyway as you have no proof.
There must be lots of cases of accidental damage where there is no proof as to who or what caused the damage ~ stone damage to windscreens, damage to bodywork in carparks etc. I've never had an insurance company quibble just because I couldn't say who or what did it. I would have thought accidental damage was accidental damage.
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L\'escargot.
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I dont think there is much you can do about this now, but how about putting some thick sheets of cardboard on the roof and bonnet next November, this may cure the problem.
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If you are friendly with the neighbour, or bump into him, you could start a conversation along the lines of "...you'll never believe what's happened to my daughters car..." without making any comment about fireworks at all.
As Stuartli said, rockets travel a fair distance and the damage may not be from his display.
I used a similar firm to ChipsAway a year ago and the quality of the job was far better that the price suggested. It may be a lot cheaper than you think to get the bonnet sorted. Its only one panel and probably not to difficult to match.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Makes me glad I use my garage to put my best car in, only 2 of us in my whole street do.
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As others here have indicated:
If I were approached some 9 weeks after the event, whether it be fireworks or damage caused by some other means allegedley by my actions I would be very suspicious unless I knew the individual well enough to give him the benefit of the doubt.
In any case, my response would be to suggest that too much time had elapsed for me to feel confident about being able to eliminate other possible causes unconnected with me.
However, a polite word from a neigbour making me aware of it accepting that much time has passed, but asking that I continue to be diligent the following year (implying that I am anyway), may at least prevent a similar occurrence.
Is it worth falling out with your neigbour over this so long after the event?
Having lived next to someone who tried to sting me for having work done to their TV antenna (I had builders and it was a very tenuous claim), I can tell you that I NEVER trusted them again. They obviously did not want to argue with the builders as they knew they would not take any rubbish, so they continued to press me.
They eventually went to the builders who did offer a contribution on production of the receipt, despite the sillyness of the claim. The receipt was never produced.
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Is it worth falling out with your neigbour over this so long after the event?
That's the nub of it really - shutters get thrown up, lines drawn etc! These thing can easily escalate to a different level. Next thing you find your tyres slashed etc. We don't live in that kind of area, but something I have to bear in mind is that they rent their house whereas all the others around us are owner / occupied, so they have less (literally none in fact) investment in the area.
They eventually went to the builders..
To be honest, I would have gone to you, as the builders are working for you. Some people get very upset when other approach 'their' builders.
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I think you will have to put it down to bad luck.There is no substantial proof that it was your neighbours actual firework.Take it on the chin.I would mention it to your neighbour and warn him that maybe this year he should have his fireworks elsewhere.
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>>I would mention it to your neighbour and warn him that maybe this year he should have his fireworks elsewhere.
You cannot warn anyone,its bad luck pure and simple.as mentioned neighbour may not be responsible.so how can anyone accuse/or advise
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Steve
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Of cause you can warn them.They probably had no idea that their fireworks were coming down around them.When my neighbour covered my car with brickdust (just having had it valeted) when he was doing diy,i asked him to clean it off.He didn't realise,and promptly washed my car.Hving warned him about his regular diy, now there is no problem.
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For "warn" we should read "advise" for the sake of tact.
I see no problem in having a friendly chat with you neighbour on the basis of "I don't know for sure how this damage appeared however I would be grateful if you could bear this risk in mind when you have your next firework display.
BP will know his neigbour better than anyone else so how he proceeds is best left with him. He may choose to wait until the next Guy Fawlkes night.
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For "warn" we should read "advise" for the sake of tact. I see no problem in having a friendly chat with you neighbour on the basis of "I don't know for sure how this damage appeared however I would be grateful if you could bear this risk in mind when you have your next firework display.
Such was the coverage of fireworks in our back and front gardens, our roof, and our garage roof, then I absolutely will find a way to make it clear to him that display fireworks are not acceptable in his garden. If I don't pursue the current issue, then that probably best left till nearer 5th Nov. As they rent, they may not be here anyway.BP will know his neigbour better than anyone else so how he proceeds is best left with him. He may choose to wait until the next Guy Fawlkes night.
Actually I don't know him - such is the way of the world. He lives behind me - at the bottom of the garden, so to speak, for about 6 mths. His road is a cul-de-sac of my road, so he would pass my house everyday, but I have no cause to pass his - a point which I also feel leaves us somewhat exposed should this turn out badly.
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You collect old fireworks from your surroundings and store them. Why? Should I be doing this? I presume it is for use as evidence for some future court case?? Yet it takes you two months and more to notice a dent in your daughters car. On a bonnet that she looks at every day (but never washes). Sounds like your daughter is not too fussed about the appearance of her car, dent or no dent. Why should you be?
You are somehow disadvantaged/under threat because your neighbour drives past your house each day. Uh??
I detect a dislike for the fact that he rents his house - he is somehow a lesser member of society, or is shifty in some way? He had the biggest fireworks in the neighbourhood so is guilty? No, wait - he seems to have had the ONLY display in the neighbourhood (some neighbourhood), so must be guilty. And he rents, not like all your respectable neighbours. AND he drives past your house each day - you get up extra early to log it in your black book. Sorry, getting silly now ;o)
HV
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You collect old fireworks from your surroundings and store them. Why? Should I be doing this? I presume itis for use as evidence for some future court case??
Actually the only reason I kept them is I thought the literally half inch square 3 foot long sticks might come in useful for something!
Yet it takes you two months and more to notice a dent in your daughters car.
It?s one of those things that isn?t easy to notice ? I washed the car with a brush, then a sponge, then leathered it (it deserved a treat after 2 mths!) but still didn?t notice the damage until I opened the bonnet. The dent is there, but is insignificant, and could be ignored. Bigger issue the way the paint has kind of erupted and split apart along the crease line an inch or so away from the impact. That?ll have to be repaired.
On a bonnet that she looks at every day (but never washes). Sounds like your daughter is not too fussed about the appearance of her car, dent or no dent.
Most girls aren?t. It?s just a car.
Why should you be?
?Cos Dad?s are.
You are somehow disadvantaged/under threat because your neighbour drives past your house each day. Uh?? I detect a dislike for the fact that he rents his house - he is somehow a lesser member of society, or is shifty in some way? He had the biggest fireworks in the neighbourhood so is guilty? No, wait - he seems to have had the ONLY display in the neighbourhood (some neighbourhood), so must be guilty. And he rents, not like all your respectable neighbours.
Yes ? I was reluctant to mention that because I expected that reaction. In fact we got on well with the people who lived there before but for some reason or other have never met the current occupier. It is a fact that they had, on both Bonfire Night and New Years Eve, fireworks that were waaay beyond anything that could possibly be considered reasonable, and there was certainly nothing else like it in the vicinity. There are a number of young children and lots of animals around here and, to me, it demonstrates a lack consideration for other residents ? you can make a mistake and buy too powerful fireworks once, but they did it twice.
AND he drives past your house each day - you get up extra early to log it in your black book.
No need ? the CCTV cameras we have trained on the rented houses in the village will catch him. J And our cat spies on them too.
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No need ? the CCTV cameras we have trained on the rented houses in the village will catch him. J And our cat spies on them too.
I believe you :o|
HV
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Update: Seems the perps have fled - dash it! I'm even more annoyed with myself now for not noticing earlier.
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Update: Seems the perps have fled - dash it!
Did your CCTV not capture them leaving? ;o)
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I sympathise with you Bill. With the size of the spent rockets which I collected in my garden last year it can only be certain that someone will be struck by one falling. If they can put a crease in a bonnet what would it do to your head.
Sooner or later there will be an outcry when this happens, that there must be some legislation (unless there already is) to limit the size of these missiles.
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Update: Seems the perps have fled - dash it!
Did your CCTV not capture them leaving? ;o)
I would sack the cat, its obviously slacking
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I would sack the cat, its obviously slacking
I think they drugged him - he's been very dopey for a few days.
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Keep the evidence - just blame it on the new influx. They probably had fireworks at New Years, and these things can travel some way, right? :o)
HV
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