Wheelie bin damaged neighbours car.

[GiantBabyMumma]

Hi,

I had my neighbours (both ladies from next door and one from opposite) knock on my door this morning to tell me that my empty wheelie bin had blown over and dented the side of their car.

They said that it had blown over once and they had picked it up, then it had blown over again into their car and caused the damage.

I was in my dressing gown and holding my crying (teething) baby so told them they'd have to come back later and speak to my partner when he is home from work.

Who is at fault here? I think neither as the wind is beyond my control!

I didn't hear the bin falling over, but they did, twice?

They supposedly moved it into the second position from which it fell causing the damage, so they have admitted that they put it in a place it was likely to cause damage if it fell.

If they had told me the first time I would have moved it.

Everyone on our street keeps their bins on the drive as there is no access to the back and nowhere else to keep them, so not just us.

I also feel as though the 3 of them knocking on my door together was to try and intimidate me into agreeing to pay any costs.

This happened between my partner leaving for work at 7.10am and 8.30am when they knocked on my door. They knew I was home alone with the baby (as I am every week day whilst on maternity leave).

Would I be unreasonable to say, no, we will not be paying anything? My partner wants to bring up the 3 of them banging on my door together to gang up on me when they know I'm home alone, do you think this would just cause further arguments?

Tia

why 3 neighbours for one bin? do they live in one house - or where they round there for coffee (mumsnet meeting lets see if we get another message string!) So - no access to back of house so ALL neighbours including them - keep their bins out the front. Bin falls over first time BUT does not cause damage - they move it; it falls over again & somehow damages a single car? did you have a tornado or a hurricane locally??? Just imagine (as someone else said) trying to collect from a council because bin men put in near the pavement/road (wish you luck with that - how many bins are placed halfway down the road!) Sorry, they should try their car insurance (that will give the call centre a laugh). hopefully the l-o-n-g thread below should answer all their questions (if remains attached) it will cost them!
forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5242650&page=2#topofpage

Maybe they only have 3rd party F&T insurance and therefore they are not covered for this accident.

They are being ridiculous.

Insurance companies they put down to an act of God, defined as any accident or event not influenced by man. They are accidents caused by nature. Hurricanes, floods, hail, tsunamis, wildfires, earthquakes and tornados are all considered acts of God. Most insurance companies don't cover it. On that basis I would refuse responsibility.

I'm not sure why women expect to be taken seriously when they say things like, 'They knew I was home alone with the baby'. Are you a woman or a mouse? Did the baby eat your brain and your confidence?

Sorry I laughed at this! It's a very good point though.

The bin hitting the car was an accident out of your control (more their fault for putting it where they did if anything), tell them to claim on their insurance, sure you can manage that even with a baby.

Act of god and negligence on their own part by putting it next to their cae. Also calling bullshit on an empty plastic wheelie bin managing to dint their metal car.

You are NOT at fault. They are CFers and they know it.

The bins were left where they were by the bin men; any one's bin could have done this, it just happened to be yours. And then they were stupid and righted the bin and left it where it could damage their car rather than just put it away.

Tell them if they want their car fixed, to call their own insurance company, you're not interested. Or if they really want to be laughed at, to call the county to complain about where bins are left by binmen.

Just tell them you've checked with your insurers, and as you thought, it is for them to make a claim through their own insurance.

My wheelie bin has dented my car during a storm and it has been very windy today, so feasible.

I think you should tell them your house insurance company will liaise with their car insurance company.

Tell them to go fuck a goat (or fuck off!)!

CF'ers.

DO NOT PAY or admit fault.

Force Majeur. Act of God/Nature. Not your monkey, not your circus.

I mentioned the bin men (assuming empty meant it had just been emptied)
I know realise that it could have been in its usual place.
Sorry!
(my excuse is that I've just put our full bins out so I'm in Bin Mode!)

Farting Not your monkey, not your circus^

I'm stealing that one!!

WHy would it be your fault? The bin is owned by the council I guess. The council workmen left the bin there. The neighbour picked it up. How can it be your fault?

YANBU

My first instinct is that they should claim any costs on their insurance- I do not think that you should be obliged to contribute anything

Sounds like accidental damage pure and simple.

You did not wilfully damage their car did you? unless you have some super powers and can control the behaviour of your wheelie bin

To be honest, it was a bit much having 3 of them knocking on your front door (presumably a the same time?)- was 2 of them there as 'witnesses' to what had happened?

No way would a wheelie bin have dented a car!???

My neighbours opposite were engaged in an on street parking war with their next door neighbour. Despite both having ample drives to the rear of their properties they would jostle for position on the road outside parking mm from each others bumpers.

One particular morning it was very windy, and a bin day. Bin men arrived at 7am ish, wind picked up even more and by half seven wind had clattered the bin into the side of neighbours car leaving a rather large dent. A dent which would have been avoided had they not been so bloody petty.

I laughed.

YANBU.
My bins were blowing about today so I had to run out in pyjamas and move them round the side of the house , my car was the only one out the front so I was keeping an eye anyway incase it hit my car , I’d be annoyed of it was my neighbours bin that hit my car but I wouldn’t blame them for it

1 of them owns the car. Not all 3

Ah - I thought from your OP that both of "their" cars had been damaged

In that case, it really does look as if they came en masse with the idea of intimidating you; I'm afraid I'd take a dim view of that and might even wonder just how true the claim was

Anyway I agree with PPs that this is what insurance is for, and that's what I'd tell them

Tell them to sue God.

The three of them knocked on your door when only one owns the car? Cheeky bastards. Are they normally that charming?
I do have to say though I don't think you should have the attitude in this day and age that you need your dp to come home and sort it. Discuss it with him, yes, but not leave it for him,

This happened to us once, storm force wind blew the wheelie bin over and it hit the neighbour's car. Turns out that because the council own the wheelie bin, the council are responsible for the damage. Neighborhood our claimed the repair cost off the council.

Everyone in my road has their bins out the front and they blow all over the place, I always pick up my neighbors, it isn't your fault it's the wind, tell them to piss off and get a house on a street where there's no bins

Do you havea joint drive?

If they return ask them to clarify....

"... so my bin was blown over in the wind and you walked onto my property and picked it up, moved it and placed it near your car where it was unsurprisingly blown over again and has now hit your car.."

A lot of bollocks being spouted about "Act Of God" in relation to insurance. It's not a thing, neighbours can claim if they want to, but you are neither responsible or insured for their loss.

www.theaa.com/home-insurance/advice/act-of-god-explained

I'd laugh in their faces..and ignore them completely.

Tell them to contact their car insurance company, I doubt you are liable but even if their insurance company say you are surely your house insurance would cover this, so you can leave the two companies to sort it out between them.