Neighbours kids scratched my car!

[shesaidhello1]

Title pretty much says it all really. Saw the kids playing out with their bikes earlier. Went to my car an hour later and there's massive scratches on both passenger and driver doors. What do I do? I've only moved in less than a year ago and the way the houses are placed, only really see the neighbours when they're taking bins out or parking cars etc. Never really speak to them but say hello when we see them. What would you do? Knock on and tell them? Knock and ask for repair money? I'm a softie as is DH and I don't want to make it awkward with neighbours but I actually wanted to cry when I saw the scratches. DH is saying let's just make them aware and that's all. Any ideas pls?

It is a difficult one! Did you actually see them scratch the car? Only I'm sure the neighbours will ask you this question. X

I didn't see them do it to be honest. But I went to the car at 1pm and it wasn't there and 2pm when I went to leave I saw that DH has just come home and said 'have you not seen the bonnet?' And went out and look and there's literally like a big smiley faced practically keyed in to the bonnet. Whoever it is, which I know it's the kids although I can't prove it, has messed up the paintwork all over the bonnet, passenger and driver side doors. I could literally cry.

A smiley face keyed into the bonnet is criminal damage, @shesaidhello1 - in your shoes, I would be phoning the police to report this - tell them who you think it was, and let them deal with it.

DH's brother (police officer) has said it's criminal damage but all they will do is log it as give a crime ref no as we have no actual proof. I'm so so gutted. My poor car is all scratched up and neighbours are just going to deny all knowledge. Does anyone know if I can claim on insurance for this?

I would think you can claim, yes - but I think you would need to report it, so you can give the insurers the crime number.

You can claim (assuming you have fully comp) but you'd be liable for the damage excess.

DH has suggested taking to a body work place and asking for a quote before calling insurance. Thing is neighbours kids aren't badly behaved. There's quite a few of them (5 or 6 in total) and I'm sure this wasn't done out of malice just childish curiosity. I just don't know how to approach it with them and I don't want to make anything awkward. I'm just so gutted about my poor car. I've worked so hard to treat myself to a new car and then to come out to that was just heartbreaking.

I would speak to the neighbours if you are sure. What do you have to lose?
Keep it polite and regardless of the response try to keep it civil.
Good luck with it xxx

Could you approach it along the lines of asking if the neighbours or their children saw anybody doing this - you'd seen the children out playing so presumably someone scratching your car would have been obvious to them? You could mention that you've reported it to the police. It might prompt a confession or at least give them some uneasy moments (or if the neighbours children are innocent, they might tell you who actually did it).

Thanks guys. I'll hopefully be going tomorrow after work with DH and knocking on the door. I'm such a softie (at the worst times!) and DH is way too polite but let's see what happens tomorrow.

I agree, ask if anyone saw it. I assumed you meant young kids being clumsy with their bikes not older ones deliberately damaging your car, that's awful.

The neighbours kids are badly behaved if they think that scratching someone's car is okay - the vast majority of kids wouldn't do this. Report it to the police.

At first I assumed it was kids being clumsy with the bikes, but once DH looked at it properly he's said you can see clear circular patterns on the doors (literally like they've been trying to draw) and then when he saw the bonnet that concluded for us it's not just kids being clumsy. The kids are always playing out and my car has been parked in the same place since we've moved in but maybe because the weather was so good today they were out for a lot longer than they usually would be and got bored after so many hours, I literally have no idea.

I'm sure you're going to have a difficult time with the parents as you didn't see anything.

But what I would suggest is getting yourself some dash cams (one front and rear) that record even when the vehicle is not switched on. Then if they try anything, you'll have video proof.

We usually have cctv cameras but decided to upgrade and took the old ones off just 3 days who with a view to put the new ones on this week.. Sod's law!

3 days ago I mean!

May I ask, why did you have CCTV cameras prior to this incident?

We have CCTV cameras simply for peace of mind. We have them at my parents house/grandparents/siblings etc so always grown up with them. Good way to keep an eye on the house when we are away as can check the camera when the doorbell rings etc.

So you have been there just under a year, CCTV and no problems. You remove CCTV and three days later, your car is deliberately damaged. It could of course be a coincidence.

The drawing of a smiley face is no accident. My 6 year old would know that this act is very wrong. And it sounds like something an older child would do - one old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. A toddler would scribble, not draw smileys.

Definitely consider reporting this as criminal damage, especially if you want to claim on your insurance. But talk to the parents first and it could be worth checking if you have to declare the report when selling.

I honestly don't think the CCTV thing is a coincidence, it's just one of those things. It's the school holidays, weather was amazing for once, kids were out for longer. I honestly don't think it was malicious, I just don't think they would understand the severity of their actions. We're knocking on tonight with the same idea as another poster of asking if their kids had seen anything as they were around at that time etc

I'd bloody furious and upset op.
Luckily for me when this happened the stupid prat scratched his name across the bonnet 😳.........

I was so upset and still walking back to my car at the moment is upsetting when I see them again, or see new ones that I'd not noticed beforehand. Have just gone around and taken pics of the whole car. It's like you work hard, buy nice things, and it's horrible when they're ruined by something / someone else!