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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Accused of hitting parked car

39 replies

2babies93 · 21/05/2023 11:50

This evening a neighbour came to our door and accused me of hitting their parked car. This absolutly wasn't me. He has a video of "me" driving down the road (although you can't actually see my reg number, it is the same make/model as my car, so very possibly me), but his car isn't in the picture so the "incident" can't be seen. It basically shows about 5m of road with a car driving down, his car is parked around 5m down the road, out of view. He says because he has this video he is going to claim off my insurance.

I think they are targeting me as I have quite a nice car comparative to the other cars on the road. Hundreds of cars would've driven past today, yet he's only picked a video of my car, and it doesn't even show his car.

There is damage to their car, but none to mine. The extent of damage to their car would mean similar or worse damage would be inevitable to the other car.
He's threatening to fraudulently claim off my insurance.

AIBU reporting this to the police?
AIBU to report this to my insurance? I don't want to have a "notification only" on my insurance histroy though as I've not actually been in an accident... but if he does try and make a claim, I want to be prepared.

Already bought a dash cam, getting it fitted later today

OP posts:

AnarchoTyrannosaurus · 21/05/2023 11:53

It sounds like a scam / fraud. I would contact the police.

ChampagneCommunist · 21/05/2023 11:53

Take putty and video of your car, right now so that they are time and date stamped, showing no damage.

If you can, photograph and film his too

Original poster

2babies93 · 21/05/2023 11:57

I've took photos of both cars last night, thank you :)

OP posts:

tatteddear · 21/05/2023 12:07

This happened to me at work once. I parked next to someone and three days later (after a weekend had passed) they accused me of bashing their car and causing £900 worth of damage as 'the dent covered two pieces that both needed to be replaced'
I hadn't opened my door on her car and there was no evidence that I had. It could have been anyone m, anywhere over the weekend.
I told her to do one. She tried to claim it via the insurance and they told her to do one too! So I'd tell them you contest what they are saying and to file an insurance claim if they want to. They can investigate it and will find it wasn't your fault and tell your neighbour so.

Fraaahnces · 21/05/2023 12:09

Definitely call the police and let them know that his behaviour was intimidating.

springtome · 21/05/2023 12:13

I would call the police and log it with your insurance. Let them know you have photos/videos of both cars showing your car to be completely damage free.

I have heard of insurance companies settling for an east life so you might need to push and kick up a stink.

Let him know that you have logged the malicious claim and have evidence it wasn't you.

This makes me want to get a dash cam for our car.

Beneficialchampion2 · 21/05/2023 12:21

He can do whatever he wants but there is no way your insurance will even entertain it.

darjeelingrose · 21/05/2023 12:26

Don't worry about it, your insurance will tell him to do one. Good that you took the photos in case they ask, but really, he has no evidence at all, there's no reason even to look at his claim.

LauraNicolaides · 21/05/2023 12:31

Insurance companies are not famous for handing out free money whenever asked.

They won't pay without evidence that you're responsible and he hasn't got any. I'd leave it to him and the insurance company.

FatCatBum · 21/05/2023 14:35

This happened to my husband, and the insurance paid out and put it as an at fault claim (even though we had photos of his car with no damage and he was nowhere near where they said it happened) because we couldn't prove he didn't i.e he was at home so we didn't have any objective proof, so I would definitely get in front of this.

Anyone who believes that the insurers wouldn't pay out without a battle have clearly never been in this situation before!

TheApplianceofScience · 21/05/2023 14:40

@FatCatBum I agree, I hit someone on a roundabout after he lost his nerve and didn’t go, I cracked his number plate, months later he came back with a huge claim, it took me years of arguing for someone at AA insurance to finally listen to me. I paid more in insurance premiums for those few years but it was the principle.

I have never used AA insurance since.

Lougle · 21/05/2023 14:51

I was accused of hitting a car by a bystander who thought they'd seen it from across the road. I said I was pretty sure that I hadn't, and if I had I would have felt it. Eventually I said I would leave a note. I wrote "A man says I hit your car. I don't think I did, and I have checked both cars and can't see any sign of damage to either car, but if you find any damage you can call me." Funnily enough, I didn't get a call because I hadn't hit the car.

I think dash cams are a great idea.

SeaPink · 21/05/2023 14:55

Are you on your own? If so he might see a woman on their own as an easy target to blame

TallerThanAverage · 21/05/2023 15:00

I used to work in the RTC department for the police. You have nothing to report to the police because you didn’t hit their car. The cctv shows a car in the vicinity, it doesn’t show the collision so I wouldn’t worry about that as far as the police are concerned. From what you’ve said they have no evidence and no witnesses.

Kangarude · 21/05/2023 15:04

He won't know who your insurance company is unless you tell him!

Ariela · 21/05/2023 15:08

Stick to your guns on this. Have you got the neighbour to see your undamaged car? And can he show you how the damage to his car was caused by your undamaged car? I'd also have a close look at his car and measure where the damage is to his. Should easily prove your bumper etc is at a different height.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 21/05/2023 15:08

Kangarude · 21/05/2023 15:04

He won't know who your insurance company is unless you tell him!

He doesn't need to know - he can report to his own insurers with OP's details and they'll do the rest.

Kangarude · 21/05/2023 15:09

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 21/05/2023 15:08

He doesn't need to know - he can report to his own insurers with OP's details and they'll do the rest.

Show quote history

I didn't think of that! Thanks

TallerThanAverage · 21/05/2023 15:10

Kangarude · 21/05/2023 15:04

He won't know who your insurance company is unless you tell him!

If the accuser gives the registration number to their insurer then they can get the OPs insurance details from the insurance databases they have access to.

ZoeyBartlett · 21/05/2023 15:13

FatCatBum · 21/05/2023 14:35

Anyone who believes that the insurers wouldn't pay out without a battle have clearly never been in this situation before!

I had similar but managed to refuse my insurance settling. Told them I was prepared to go to Court and to make the other side prove it. Miraculously the video they claimed to have never appeared and it went away.

Summerfun2023 · 21/05/2023 15:17

It's not fraud for him to put a claim in to your insurance but it is very difficult and you would have to answer first before any money is paid out. If you showed them pictures of your vehicle looking untouched then that disproves his claim.

annonymousse · 21/05/2023 15:34

I had someone accuse me of clipping her wing mirror in a car park. I was not aware of any contact between the cars but gave her benefit of the doubt as I'm deaf in my left ear and worried I just hadn't heard it. We both checked our cars and agreed no damage to either car. I was in uniform with name badge on display. It was a non event and I forgot about it.

Three days later I got a call from my insurance company. She was claiming injuries, her airbag had gone off, this had happened, that had happened. I was aghast. My genuine shock obviously showed in my voice. I explained what had happened. Long story short, my car was inspected and it was declared a spurious claim.

KittyAlfred · 21/05/2023 15:40

FatCatBum · 21/05/2023 14:35

Anyone who believes that the insurers wouldn't pay out without a battle have clearly never been in this situation before!

Exactly. Happens all the time. I wouldn’t trust insurers.

KittyAlfred · 21/05/2023 15:45

This happened to a friend of mine. She lightly tapped neighbour’s car, doing no damage at all. Spoke to neighbour, both agreed no harm done. Next thing she knows, her insurance have paid out to him, on the grounds of her damaging his car. The claim was for a massive dent in a different part of the car that was nowhere near the bit she’d bumped. She hadn’t even been told it was happening. She told her insurers that it was fraudulent but they weren’t interested.

So I your place OP I would report to the police a potential fraudulent claim, and let your insurers know you’re doing this too.

VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji · 21/05/2023 15:45

Tell him to do one. All he’s got is a video of you driving home

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