to ask neighbour for payment to fix my car?

[youarekidding]

I genuinely have no idea if IABU or not - please help!

Neighbours bought house off plan - never lived there and now it's sold. Have not met them for this reason.

Now - you may have noticed! - it's been very windy the past 2 days. Neighbours fence has come lose and this morning it blew off chipping my windscreen and scratching my car.

Windscreen fixed free (autoglass type deal) and doesn't affect NCB so not a problem. Thing is the scratch will rust if not fixed and I do not want to claim on my insurance if possible. I cannot afford to fix it.

Now - my car has it MOT due next month and if it's really expensive to fix I may not keep it.

So AIBU to contact my neighbour through the agent (I would drop a note through the door but do not think they and haven't seen then enter the property so may not get it) explaining the situation and asking them that IF the car passes the MOT and stays on the road that they pay to get the scratch fixed.

So far suggestions from friends have been:

1. get them to pay for scratch. If car goes use the cash for something else.
2. get them to pay for the scratch and fix it because it may start to rust and car may be kept on the road.

Neither of these sit comfortably with me.

TIA.

When I mean, claim insurance -- not my insurance, of course. the owner should claim it on their own insurance.

Why not get a quote first - see if it's worth going via insurance and take it from there? Seems pointless claiming off the insurance for what is likely to be a small amount, and losing your no-claims? I wouldn't get it fixed before its MOT? (Talking as someone who drove car up side of a gate, caused lots of damage to rear door and have just driven it like that for almost 3 years now...)

If you have pointed out issues with the fence before and they have failed to rectify it then this may suggest they have been negligent and are liable for the damage. You have nothing to lose by contacting them.

Doesn't house insurance cover storm damage ? Although it may not if they haven't maintained it. I also thought insurance covers damage caused to a third party. Maybe I have totally misunderstood insurance.

My DS was playing football in the street and the ball bounced off a car window.

I paid a third of the repair cost, along with his friends' parents (kids were about 8 or 9 at the time). The car owner was not prepared to claim off her insurance for the barely visible miniscule scratch.

I'd contact the owners of the fence and ask them for payment. You shouldn't have to lose your NCB over something that wasn't your fault.

YANBU

Thanks for all your replies. They have been very useful.

I will contact insurance, and also house insurance - I hadn't thought of that! (although I'm contents only as I'm a tenant), I will also investigate the costs to repair both through T-cut, garage and a DIY pen jobby.

Goes to show that sometimes your unsure IYBU because you actually don't know what to do in a situation eg who to call!

I think my bug bear HAS actually been that this is the 3rd time in a year I've had to pick this fence up remove it and be the one to tell agents it's down so it's taken away. It may have clouded my judgement.

And I haven't ruled out asking my neighbours for a contribution at least but at least I'll be prepared and have a plan of action if they tell me to fuck off! no.

I think it is just one of those thongs, cars get damaged by flying debris in a storm. If the damage is minor touch up paint from halfords will cost about a fiver.

If it's your neighbours' fence, shouldn't it go on their insurance?

Have you documented the fence pick up occasions? Repeated fence falling over would suggest negligence.
So would add evidence to your claim off absent neighbours, should you wish to make one.
Which I agree should be last resort, much better, less stressful, if you can sort it yourself cheaply.

I have the emails I sent the agent and can prove calls if I got an itemised phonebill.

I'm going to see about costs of fixing, email agent to tell them about fence (and to ask them to tell their clients) (again!), I'll put a note through the door to show willing to contact the owners inform them of damage to the car.

I'll decide what to do when I know about car being on the road or not. But at least they have been made aware.

Re your hypothetical situation, I had a teenage cyclist go into the back of my car when I stopped at traffic lights and he didn't. The tailgate of the car was replaced as a no fault claim and didn't affect my NCB.

My car is now at the age/state where scratches and bumps aren't worth worrying about. I've some lovely yellow scratches on the front of it where I drove too close to the skip outside my house. That was five years ago and there's no sign of rust.

YABU to be so precious about your car. Chill.

All I would say, OP, is don't underestimate the value of a friendly neighbour. Even if you get the money from them now, you may lose their good will by just asking - and you may well pay for that later on.

No advice to offer but have been wondering about storm damage to cars and who would be expected to claim/pay up after our 14ft trampolene took off in the really bad storms a few weeks ago and landed the other side of our fence in the road where our neighbour normally parks their car. Thankfully they were away on holiday.

I think in your situation I would write and say there had been damage and you were obtaining quotes but use this time to see if the car passes the MOT before taking it further.

YABU to be so precious about your car. I'm really not - believe me! Just know someone who had their car scratched and left it - it rusted badly costing them more.

Jinsei I don't know the neighbours - they haven't lived in the house the 5 years they've owned it and it's been on the market a year!! Your right though and I will attepmt to make the new owners welcome - if anyone EVER moves in!!!

I would have thought your neighbours would be liable as it was their fence that blew into your car. This is what house insurance is for and is part of the mortgage agreement. Call your car insurance and ask them what they think, or even your house insurance and explain the scenario to them, see if they think the neighbours would be liable. I would expect to have to pay for it if it was my fence.

Phone someone like ChipsAway - they're like Autoglass but for scratches. Might be cheaper than full bodywork place.

op if you are determined to pursue this, you can put your car in for an MOT a month before it is due to expire, it might help clarity the situation, you could ask the garage to give you a quote for touching up the scratch at the same time.

1) get them to pay for scratch. If car goes use the cash for something else

I think to do the above is highly unethical.

Don't know if this is random or helpful.... while having a wing built onto (parent's) house a scaffolding pole blew off in a storm, landing on my months-old beautiful car. The builders paid without a quibble (might have been encouraged by my tear-streaked face!) and they handled getting their money back off their insurance. T'was very straight forward, to my shock.

Ah thanks soup I'll google them and give them a call.

I had considered that compos problem is if it fails it'll be a whole month of trying to get DS to school and me to work without a car extra I agree I would never take the money unless if was to pay for the scratch.

I think I should actually ask my garages opinion on the scratch too - they may say it'll be fine. I think because despite the cars age and welding problems because it has no srcatches or bumps I'm noticing it more and worrying about what could happen.

Of course it may well be fine!!

I did extensive scratch repair research when some twat scratched the bumper of my hire car. There were several companies who come and repair the damage on your driveway so it takes no more than a day.

I think I googled scratch repair

I disagree it's unethical to claim for the cost of damage but not get the repair done. If your car is written off and you get a payout, you're not obliged to replace it with a car of equal value or at all.

I would notify the agent/homeowner that the fence has blown off again and you're investigating getting it repaired. If it turns out to be trivial, then you don't need to take it any further.

OP you can fix this - go to Halfords, they have three step scratch removal systems. They are a bit like pens with brushes on the end, you first clean off any top coat from the scratch with one bit, paint in the scratch with the other and then top coat it with a final one, it's a bit like french polishing your nails (not pink obv) - I had to do this with a VERY LARGE SCRATCH COURTESY OF MY HUSBAND'S INABILITY TO ESTIMATE WIDTHS and you can't see it now. They cost £10.99 - this will be cheaper than any insurance job and will not see you falling out with your neighbours.