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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think neighbour should pay for damage?

183 replies

Lauren1983 · 12/03/2019 16:05

Our next door neighbour's wheelie bin has crashed into our car and damaged the taillight. The bin is left by her garden backdoor in the private car park we all share. The bin was empty and unsecured and the high winds have caused it to roll 6 feet away and cause the damage.

Neighbour says she is not liable to pay as it was an accident however we will now be left £36 out of pocket. AIBU to think she should pay?

OP posts:
WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue · 12/03/2019 16:23

YABVU. She doesn’t control the weather and she isn’t liable for this. She doesn’t have to pay you and she shouldn’t.

lalasmum11 · 12/03/2019 16:24

If the damage was €2,500 for example then her house insurance would pay out (they did when my trampoline flew and landed on the roof of my neighbor’s car). Officially she is liable as she should have tied it down.

NoSquirrels · 12/03/2019 16:24

Depends if she was home to move her bin, I guess.

By 8am a lot of people would have gone to work already, in which case they wouldn't be able to "secure" it.

If I was your neighbour I would offer to pay.

If I was you, I would decide not to sweat the small stuff. But I would make it clear to neighbour that please could they take the bin in in future, especially if it's windy, as it's an accident that could be prevented in future.

Don't fall out over it.

TheQueef · 12/03/2019 16:24

Act of god.

lalasmum11 · 12/03/2019 16:25

Though for £36 I wouldn’t bother pursuing.

crisscrosscranky · 12/03/2019 16:25

I agree with PP- you need to pay for it and suck it up. Unforeseen costs come with car ownership not leaving a wheelie bin on your driveway.

DeRigueurMortis · 12/03/2019 16:28

You're being unreasonable.

It was an accident caused by high winds. She had no way of knowing this would occur and neither did you - otherwise you would presumably have contacted her previously to change the location of her bin.....

It's a pain yes, but causing a row over less than £40 when she's not been negligent is not in your interests.

caughtinanet · 12/03/2019 16:28

A solicitor? For £36? Is that a serious suggestion?

thedisorganisedmum · 12/03/2019 16:28

All the posters who shrug saying "it's not the owner's fault", do you really just leave your own bins in the middle of your private drive, or do you secure them somehow to avoid them smashing into your car?

WIth the storms we have at the moment, my bins are secured, why on earth wouldn't they be!

PrincessScarlett · 12/03/2019 16:31

Is £36 worth ruining your relationship with your neighbour?

PlainSpeakingStraightTalking · 12/03/2019 16:32

My bins just wander round my drive until I get home, on account of the fact the refuse operative sling them back willy nilly. Sometimes I find them in the road, sometimes I dont find them at all.

Nope never secured bins. Be a bit difficult to secure the poxy recycling boxes, especially when empty.

Bellasorellaa · 12/03/2019 16:32

i would pay this because its the right thing to do, she knew it was windy she just didnt think but her mistake cost you
so she should pay

Contraceptionismyfriend · 12/03/2019 16:32

We don't have the wheelie bins we have little boxes.
I was put before mine were collected today. So they are probably not where I left them.

AcrossthePond55 · 12/03/2019 16:33

It would cost you more to pursue her legally for the money than to just fix the light yourself.

thedisorganisedmum · 12/03/2019 16:35

Was the car damaged yesterday or today?

Because the bin was emptied yesterday morning.

cstaff · 12/03/2019 16:36

Seriously for £36 and then you are likely to ruin any good relations you have with your neighbour. Not worth it.

PuppyMonkey · 12/03/2019 16:36

The bin man/woman probably just emptied it and put it back “unsecured”. And the neighbour may have been out completely oblivious to that. Don’t think I’d be too happy to pay anything if my gun caused an issue in that scenario.Confused

NameChangeNugget · 12/03/2019 16:36

I’d pay the the lot. You cant blame your neighbour for the wind.

YABU

PuppyMonkey · 12/03/2019 16:37

My bin, I mean.Grin

  • I do not own a gun.
Original poster
Lauren1983 · 12/03/2019 16:38

Neighbour came round again. She is angry as we put a note through the door instead of knocking. We believed she was out as we saw her mum picking up her kids and I thought a note was less confronting. Turns out she was home all day. Apparently if we had knocked she may have paid. Not sure why she came around just to tell us that as we had had a previous conversation in which she indicated she wouldn't.

We'll pay it and won't help her out or speak to her in future.

Thanks for all the replies.

OP posts:
10IAR · 12/03/2019 16:39

Is it really worth causing a riot over £36?

You'd have better luck blaming the council since they last had their hands on it tbh.

Wind causes damage, there's not really much any of us can do.

Nicknacky · 12/03/2019 16:41

You should have spoken to her rather than a note, it could have waited until you knew for definite she was in.

PuppyMonkey · 12/03/2019 16:41

(Would love to read your note).

Original poster
Lauren1983 · 12/03/2019 16:41

The bin was collected yesterday, the car was damaged today.

OP posts:
Pinkbells · 12/03/2019 16:42

I think it would be unreasonable to hold her responsible as she wasn't. Nothing much you can do about the weather, unfortunately.