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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be angry that someone has vandalised my car and I'm going to have to pay for it?

14 replies

EllieorOllie · 27/03/2011 11:04

That's it really.

I woke up this morning to discover that some angry/bored young adult has ripped my car wing mirror off (and off another 5 cars in the road) and kicked some nice little dents in it. They've been arrested, they've confessed to doing it, but because of insurance, no claims bonuses, excesses, etc, etc, I will still have to foot the bill for the repairs. The only way I could get it covered is if my insurance company were willing to sue the little oik for the damages, which is highly highly unlikely.

It just makes my blood boil. Why should I have to pay out for someone else's hooliganism?

Grr grr grr Angry

Rant over, my DH is out at work and I had to get it off my chest...

Oh, and I can't effing drive till it's fixed.

OP posts:
Original poster
EllieorOllie · 27/03/2011 11:05

Clearly I'm so angry that I had to start 2 threads about the same thing...

OP posts:
overthehillmum · 27/03/2011 11:10

Same thing happened to me years ago, struggling single mum, absolutely skint, it totally devastated me, managed to pay it though and when it went to court they had to pay me the money that it had costed me back as compensation, ordered by the judge, I kept the receipts for it, I got it in £5 a week payments. Idiots though.

BigBabyBoots · 27/03/2011 11:12

This wasn't in Bournemouth was it?

lazylula · 27/03/2011 11:17

Same thing happened in our road in the early hours of New Years Day this year. Luckily for us ours just bent backwards so wasn't broken, unfortunately it wasn't the same for our neighbours, who had only got their car 3 days before. Their wing mirror was hanging, and this was after someone ran into the back of him the first day they had it! In the middle of last year some delightful teens ran down the road with a piece of wood whacking the wing mirrors on our cars, that time the glass fell out of the car mirror and the plastic casing on the van mirror was broken. It os annoying but nothing could be done.

diddl · 27/03/2011 11:23

Can you not bring a claim against thenif youknow who it is?

womma · 27/03/2011 11:29

It is bloody annoying, I've had it happen three times now.

What made me feel a bit better about it was that it was the car and not me or any family or friends who'd suffered any physical damage from such utter fuckwits assets to our local community. I can cope much better with a 'thing' being damaged than I would a person.

Mind you, I'm watching some local idiots on community service clearing out my elderly neighour's garden now, bet they don't feel so big, bad and dangerous now!

FabbyChic · 27/03/2011 11:31

Why cant you drive until it is fixed is it the drivers side wing mirror?

You can buy a cheap wing mirror replacement on eBay.

The passenger side wing mirror is not part of the MOT test and doesnt have to be in situ.

peeriebear · 27/03/2011 11:39

Same thing happened to us before Christmas, we parked partly in front of somebody's garage door for two hours on a weekend night and he ripped the valves out of our tyres with pliers and scrawled on the windows in marker. The stupid thing is, he doesn't even have a car (he lives two doors from my friend, who he has threatened aggressively before). He has a moped which he wheels down the path and we were not in the way of that at all. The garage has the landlord's property stored in it.
The police didn't even speak to him, just said there was no evidence it was him, did no follow up, we had to pay.
The thing I don't understand is, if he did need to get access to the garage, immobilising our car was a pretty dumb thing to do surely Confused

Avantia · 27/03/2011 11:49

Why can't you drive until it is fixed ?

You only need two mirrors thar face rear- so you should have your inside rear view mirror and the other wing mirror .

BigBabyBoots · 27/03/2011 11:53

My DP and I came out of a pub yesterday afternoon to see a kid tearing down the road, punching and kicking cars leaving huge dents, knocking off the mirrors, jumping on bonnets. There was an elderly disabled woman in one of the cars and the kid kicked both sides in and then started hitting her window with his elbow - she was terrified!

My DP chased him up the road and dragged him back to apologise and wait for the police. He was crying his eyes out, but his friends said it wasn't the first time and I doubt it will be the last. A warning and then let off I'd imagine.

I think all little thugs should have to apologise to their victims. It might make them think twice in future, and it seemed to make a difference to the lady who was trapped in her car.

Avantia · 27/03/2011 11:56

hang on if its the driver wing mirror I think you may need that . Anyway in the meantime you can get sticky mirrors if glass is just broken.

Have the insurance company told you that you can't drive it - if so they need to get a car to you asap - if you are fully comp they should do that pretty quick especailly as its not your fault.

Original poster
EllieorOllie · 27/03/2011 12:45

yep, it's the driver's side so it DOES have to be there. was told by the insurance company if i do choose to drive and get caught i should just claim i was on the way to get it repaired Hmm. might look rather unconvincing on a sunday though.

not Bournemouth, no. we're in Berkshire.

it is literally ripped off, hanging on only by the wiring, so replacement glass is not an option.

issue with the insurance is that I've only been driving for 18 months, and it's my first year of fully comp insurance in my name, in a 10 months accelerated no claims scheme. so if i claim, i'm screwing myself over. plus the excess for me is huge because i'm a 'new' (but mature!) driver. so the whole thing is just pointless. i might be able to get some compensation via the courts, that's about it.

sorry to hear this sort of thing happens to so many people. it's maddening to know that criminals can just get away with this sort of thing. at least the guy was arrested in this case...

OP posts:
Avantia · 27/03/2011 13:36

I wouldn't hold out for compensation -if the young adult has not be in trouble before more than likely to get a caution.

Why won't the insurance company recover the cost from the youths ?

browneyesblue · 27/03/2011 13:59

Small claims court? If he has admitted to it, maybe it would be straight forward...

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