To not fix DS's dented car?

[graceandmichael]

DS parked his car on the wrong bit, he has the back driveway but parked it in DH's spot as he thought he'd be back out before DH got home. DH came home, obviously thinking it was empty and as he reverses in, he doesn't particularly see what's there as it's really tucked away. He reversed on and boom, hit DS's car. There's quite a bad dent in it. Have been quoted £450 to fix. We don't particularly have the spare money and would have to 'find it'. DS has a few thousand in savings and DH thinks he should pay for it if he cares enough about the dent because of the way it happened.

After opinions please and thanks for reading.

Your DH should definitely pay. If you're strapped for cash would your DS be willing to pay for the repair with the understanding that you'll pay him back in monthly installments?

Loveandlaughter - no NO Driver should ever assume that the place they're driving into is clear. What if it had been a child there? Or an elderly person perhaps with dementia? No husband needs to take responsibility and in future not be such a careless driver.

There wouldn't be someone there? It's on our property, in our front garden.

The only assumption that any driver should ever make is that they need to pay attention at all times - anything else is just irresponsible.

Of course your husband should pay - he hit a parked car!

DH hit a parked car! Of course he should pay.

DH was driving carelessly and didn't look properly - what if there had been something else in the space - a child playing for example.

What if you had walked across that spot on your drive whilst he was reversing? He would have hit you. Yes your DH should pay for the car to be fixed.

There wouldn't be someone there? It's on our property, in our front garden.

Unlikely that there would be someone there, but potentially there could be. I arrived home one day to find a drunk person pissing in the hedge on my driveway. In the summer holidays we had a spate where the local children would play hide and seek and they'd often hide from each other behind peoples cars on private property.

People have misunderstood how our car park spaces are, they're on our property, tucked away, gated.

I have a son who is about to start driving and I would be mortified if I damaged his car. Obviously I'd arrange for it to be repaired myself and take care of the cost, even though it would not be easy for me to find the cash.

If your son had damaged his dad's car, wouldn't you both expect your son to put right the damage? This is no different.

So you never have people walking to your front door? Your H could have killed somebody - ie the postman, a young child doing leafleting. Running over a cat would be bad enough

I can't believe he thinks it's ok to not look before he reverses, wherever it is. And that he should make his son pay to get his car repaired when your H was driving dangerously and caused the damage!

I feel really angry for your poor son actually - I really hope you'll take his side after this

You never have any visitors?

I think they should go halves.
Ds was a cf for parking there.

Your son should just get into contact with his insurance company, he is probably in breach of his T&C by not reporting it.

What if a neighbour was visiting and happened to stop in that spot and he hadnt seen a person! Silly excuse. He reversed without looking he pays

Do you never have any cats walking over your land? Of course he should look when he’s reversing!

It's irrelevant how your car park spaces are, what if there'd been a cat or animal or child in your garden? Your dh should have reversed slowly looking all around him, it's not like a parked car is a small thing.

Ok so I xposted with your last post OP but the position and location of the parking spaces is kind of irrelevant.

The fact is your H hit a parked car. Therefore he is responsible in the eyes of the law and it is disgusting to suggest your son should have to use his own savings to pay for the damage.

The fact that you’re posting this dilemma means your daft comment about there not being anyone there is moot. There WAS someone there. Alright, not a person but there COULD have been, and there was, in fact, a car there.

Where it is in irrelevant. You don’t reverse (or drive!) without paying attention and checking. If you can’t see clearly you edge forward super slowly!

We haven’t misunderstood. Your husband shouldn’t reverse without looking. There could be a person, a parcel or an animal there.

Nobody is misunderstanding anything, OP. Your DS parking there is irrelevant; your DH was careless and caused damage as a result of that.

Your DH should absolutely pay for the repairs. I can’t get over him reversing without looking. Why would you do that?

There wouldn't be someone there? It's on our property, in our front garden.

Of course there could be someone there - I have local kids running across my garden regularly (despite being asked not to, but hey ho...) plus there could be people's pets etc, the paper boys bike etc etc etc. You need to look behind you when you reverse. Your DH is a twat. However, if you can't afford it in one go then he he needs to negotiate with DS how he is going to pay for it. Whether he wants to give DS a bollocking for parking in his space is another matter and a separate point.

Your DH should pay. Obviously.

Pretty careless to reverse without looking, isn't it?