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AIBU?

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I’ve bumped my husbands new car 🚗

605 replies

StaceyAl · 09/06/2024 20:39

I’m in a panic. My husband bought an expensive new car last week. He was having an afternoon nap so I just borrowed it to collect my son from sports training. I’ve reversed into a low wall in a car park (couldn’t see it in my rear view mirror) and have dented the rear bumper.
He’s working from home tomorrow- is there any chance I can get up early and take it to a garage to get fixed and return it without him knowing?
what should I do, I can’t tell him he’ll be furious and I took it without asking

OP posts:
ElaineMBenes · 10/06/2024 12:40

BaconMassive · 10/06/2024 12:33

Do people still have separate pots for personal and joint spending? I thought that was old school? Maybe I'm old school, we share everything.

Yep.
We have a joint account for bills then we get an equal amount of personal money which goes into our own account.

LookItsMeAgain · 10/06/2024 12:39

Prelapsarianhag · 10/06/2024 11:04

He does not sound very nice. We are human and we all make mistakes.

He sounds like someone who had something of their property used without giving said person permission to use it, and he got cross/angry when he was informed that his property got damaged as a result. He sounds completely human here.

I had a sneaky suspicion that the OP had their own car and just wanted to drive a high performance car for jollies. I didn't post that but I had suspicions and it turns out the OP did want to drive her husband's new car for fun. There was absolutely no reason under the sun, except that she wanted to, why the OP would take his car when she could have taken her own and then to have the music playing in the car so loudly that she didn't hear the parking sensors.

If I were your DH, I'd be mightily pissed off too with what you've done @StaceyAl and I would expect you to sort it out of your own money. It wasn't your car to take. Stick to using your own car, keep your music at a volume that you CAN hear the parking sensors as both I and others have mentioned if you couldn't hear them and you banged off a wall, you wouldn't have heard them if you had knocked into a person either. That, I hate to be the one to break it to you, does make you an unsafe and dangerous driver.

As for the comments of @grapesstrawberriesplease, saying that because they are married, they have 100% access to each other's possessions - I would respectfully dispute that. I have my own car and I'm insured on my DH's car. If our son has his Dad's car to do something, and my husband needs to go out and use a car, he asks can he use mine, he doesn't just take it and vice versa. It's just the polite thing to do. I disagree with the idea that just because you're married that you automatically have the right to something that the other spouse has which is how I've picked up that point. I understand however if spouses are to separate, then all of the assets brought into the marriage are factored in at that point but for something like this, the OP should have asked to use the car, 'an expensive new car' that was a week old. I'd be pissed off too.

Badassnameforadojo · 10/06/2024 12:38

InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream · 10/06/2024 12:36

@Badassnameforadojo
All the consequences are wrong. There should not be 'consequences' in an equal partnership for a complete accident, this isn't some stranger or a neighbour- it's his bloody wife!

Righto.

Badassnameforadojo · 10/06/2024 12:37

@BaconMassive

That’s a personal choice made in each marriage. Personally, I would hate to have no money of my own and have all my spending monitored from a joint account. Happy to have a joint account for all joint expenses and then each take the same amount for personal spends into your own account. And that’s the money that should be used to fix this; her own personal spends.

InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream · 10/06/2024 12:36

@Badassnameforadojo
All the consequences are wrong. There should not be 'consequences' in an equal partnership for a complete accident, this isn't some stranger or a neighbour- it's his bloody wife!

BaconMassive · 10/06/2024 12:33

Do people still have separate pots for personal and joint spending? I thought that was old school? Maybe I'm old school, we share everything.

Wotcher · 10/06/2024 12:30

Wow. I would be fuming if I was husband. To be reversing without even paying attention to the sensors is pretty lax. I wouldn’t want you driving my car. I’m always so conscious and careful when driving someone else’s car, and my own tbf. Our vehicles aren’t new or expensive either!

Badassnameforadojo · 10/06/2024 12:26

InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream · 10/06/2024 12:05

Hmmm. Lots of you agreeing with the husbands reaction must be married to complete pigs if you think that's the norm.
In an equal relationship, where an accident has happened and the op is remorseful ( as she is) there should not be 'consequences'. She is his partner, not a child to be disciplined.

Um, paying for damage you caused (after taking something without permission and when you didn’t even need to use it) is a perfectly acceptable consequence. She absolutely should pay for it herself, not from
joint money. And she shouldn’t drive it again, because she doesn’t need to. She has a car of her own.

Which consequence do you think is unfair?

WallaceinAnderland · 10/06/2024 12:22

DH and I share everything. It would be no biggie if one of us pranged the car. But in OPs relationship she knew before she took it that he wouldn't want her to. And you can see why. He doesn't trust her with his things. OP did a stupid thing and just needs to own it without all the drama.

Peaceandquietandacuppa · 10/06/2024 12:21

Lellochip · 10/06/2024 12:14

The OP has just said she will never be allowed to use his car again - they are married, legally it is their property - that’s what marriage means, like it or not, and she is now not allowed to use it, as if she were a child.

So you think marriage means you can have literally nothing of your own? Phones, computers, clothes? You'd be happy for your husband to help himself to anything of yours without even a word, and not care if it got damaged because 'legally' what's yours is his?

I get what you mean but in divorce, a car will usually be considered to be a joint asset if purchased during the marriage. It sounds like she has her own car so maybe didn’t need to take it this time, but I can see the lines being more blurred with a car - especially having kids that need to be ferried about.

Silviasilvertoes · 10/06/2024 12:20

DeedlessIndeed · 10/06/2024 12:17

I think both parties sound a bit odd.

First off, if DH splashed out on a new flashy car, I would 100% ask before taking it out. If he was busy I'd use my car and try it out another time. That is a bit of a dick-ish thing to do.

Secondly, what on earth is your reaction? Physically shaking? Trying to cover it up?

It reminds me of mum after our family car was dinged in the supermarket. She was terrified to tell my dad. I remember her frantically trying to buy T-cut and get the scratch out. She then went back and tried to cover it with paint and then lied about it as she couldn't face telling the truth.

Looking back he was emotionally abusive. If you have kids, they definitely are picking up on this dynamic, and if they're like me they will hate it. Since having my own, healthy, relationships I cannot imagine having such a reaction if I'd messed up. Yes DH maybe annoyed, but he wouldn't "tell me off". I'd apologise and agree how I could resolve it - all's good. We'd laugh about it before long.

I think it speaks volumes about what is going on in your relationship if you have such a reaction. Please look into this going forward? My mum would never say that my dad is abusive and she works in safeguarding (worrying, I know). She would be able to identify another person going through the same thing as a victim of abuse, but we can't always view our own situations as clearly.

This. I could say the same about my mother, who had no hesitation in telling me I was in an abusive marriage but would never believe she had helped to train me for it.

WitchyBits · 10/06/2024 12:19

VolvoFan · 10/06/2024 09:58

Imagine if you bought a brand new car, and your DH used it without letting you know, then he damaged it, then he panicked and decided to not tell you about it in case you got angry with him. You might not be steaming mad, but you'd be a bit cheesed off, wouldn't you?

Edited

Being "cheesed off" about a mistake doesn't result in people shaking with fear and being terrified to own up.

Silviasilvertoes · 10/06/2024 12:18

It’s not okay to borrow and damage something without asking, especially if carelessness was involved, but it’s also not okay to be frightened of the consequences. Yes, DH or I would be angry for a while if the other did that, but neither of us would be frightened of the other’s reaction. Some of the PPs on here seem to be overlooking that.

slummymummy24 · 10/06/2024 12:18

Iloveshihtzus · 10/06/2024 11:57

I’m shocked at the amount of women (I assume they are women?) posting here that the husband’s anger was justified.

The OP has just said she will never be allowed to use his car again - they are married, legally it is their property - that’s what marriage means, like it or not, and she is now not allowed to use it, as if she were a child.

What kind of weird dynamic do you all live in that this is normal????

This! My husband borrow my car all the time - no big deal - he doesn't "ask"!
Concerned about you OP and any others who think this is normal.
Have been a bit hacked off with my husband recently but having read some of these comments I think I'll wind my neck in as he seems pretty reasonable!

DeedlessIndeed · 10/06/2024 12:17

I think both parties sound a bit odd.

First off, if DH splashed out on a new flashy car, I would 100% ask before taking it out. If he was busy I'd use my car and try it out another time. That is a bit of a dick-ish thing to do.

Secondly, what on earth is your reaction? Physically shaking? Trying to cover it up?

It reminds me of mum after our family car was dinged in the supermarket. She was terrified to tell my dad. I remember her frantically trying to buy T-cut and get the scratch out. She then went back and tried to cover it with paint and then lied about it as she couldn't face telling the truth.

Looking back he was emotionally abusive. If you have kids, they definitely are picking up on this dynamic, and if they're like me they will hate it. Since having my own, healthy, relationships I cannot imagine having such a reaction if I'd messed up. Yes DH maybe annoyed, but he wouldn't "tell me off". I'd apologise and agree how I could resolve it - all's good. We'd laugh about it before long.

I think it speaks volumes about what is going on in your relationship if you have such a reaction. Please look into this going forward? My mum would never say that my dad is abusive and she works in safeguarding (worrying, I know). She would be able to identify another person going through the same thing as a victim of abuse, but we can't always view our own situations as clearly.

Peaceandquietandacuppa · 10/06/2024 12:15

If you were that scared to tell him OP, this is not a healthy relationship.

However you do need to take some responsibility, why are you listening to loud music while parking.

Yes he has the right to be angry. He does not have the right to punish you, scare you or ban you from driving the car if you need to.

I suspect he never would have let you take the car which is why you didn’t ask, that’s not right either.

Lellochip · 10/06/2024 12:14

The OP has just said she will never be allowed to use his car again - they are married, legally it is their property - that’s what marriage means, like it or not, and she is now not allowed to use it, as if she were a child.

So you think marriage means you can have literally nothing of your own? Phones, computers, clothes? You'd be happy for your husband to help himself to anything of yours without even a word, and not care if it got damaged because 'legally' what's yours is his?

MargaretThursday · 10/06/2024 12:08

Oriunda · 10/06/2024 12:02

Yes, this. Husband got a brand new car 2 years ago. The first time either of us had ever bought a new car. The first week, each time husband got home from work he went to look at the car to check on it. It was just an automatic thing, checking on his new prized toy. He’d have absolutely noticed any damage, and been absolutely furious with me!

Agreed.
We got our first ever new car about 15 months ago. It's a little run about.
I still admire it at least a couple of times a week and would notice a bump immediately.

If it was me the issue I'd have would be dh taking it without asking first. I mean if me/dh is going out to something unexpected we'd say"taking the big car, do you need it?"

InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream · 10/06/2024 12:08

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 10/06/2024 12:05

My dh was motor trade, if I’d taken his new staff car without permission and pranged it would have been a problem.

As it was I never drove any of them unless he was there until the newness had worn off then it didn’t matter so much.

Relative whose dh has sports cars refuses flat out to drive them.

My husband does have a sports car and encourages me to drive it. When I accidentally curbed an alloy he was annoyed about the damage but not annoyed at me. It was an accident. He then curbed it himself much worse the following week. These things happen. Life's too short to be in fear of your partner .

carissue67 · 10/06/2024 12:06

My DH scraped my car in a carpark. Obviously I was annoyed because I like my car and it's expensive. We quickly moved on though.

I don't think I'd of been so forgiving if he'd taken it without me knowing and then had the music so loud it affected his driving.

ElaineMBenes · 10/06/2024 12:06

I was physically shaking from fear and the reality of what I’d done.

If your husband makes you physically shake from fear then you've got much bigger problems.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 10/06/2024 12:05

My dh was motor trade, if I’d taken his new staff car without permission and pranged it would have been a problem.

As it was I never drove any of them unless he was there until the newness had worn off then it didn’t matter so much.

Relative whose dh has sports cars refuses flat out to drive them.

InSpaceNooneCanHearYouScream · 10/06/2024 12:05

Hmmm. Lots of you agreeing with the husbands reaction must be married to complete pigs if you think that's the norm.
In an equal relationship, where an accident has happened and the op is remorseful ( as she is) there should not be 'consequences'. She is his partner, not a child to be disciplined.

grapesstrawberriesplease · 10/06/2024 12:04

Also it’s a super irresponsible thing to say you don’t want to claim on your insurance because your premiums will go up. This whole situation reeks of “I did something stupid but now I want to avoid any confrontation about it and I certainly don’t want to pay for it”. So you’d rather your husband/joint finances be £800 out of pocket because you don’t want to lose your NCD?

Oriunda · 10/06/2024 12:02

IrnBruLolly · 09/06/2024 23:58

Trust me, a man with a new car which he loves will defo notice. He's probably still in the honeymoon stage where he likes to admire it visually.

And the chances of him putting something in the boot are presumably fairly high.

Yes, this. Husband got a brand new car 2 years ago. The first time either of us had ever bought a new car. The first week, each time husband got home from work he went to look at the car to check on it. It was just an automatic thing, checking on his new prized toy. He’d have absolutely noticed any damage, and been absolutely furious with me!