Should I just pay

[Wilst23]

What would you do?

My SILs car was hit by a neighbour who has since passed away (unrelated). They had agreed to pay the costs forgoing insurance company at around £600 for the repair. He passed the following week.

Given this was immediately before Christmas, we felt it best not to push for this.

I'm now being asked to enquire with the neighbours adult child who has since moved in, as to when this would likely be paid back.

I'm fairly uncomfortable doing this and am tempted just to pay myself to avoid the awkwardness. I also feel its probably too late to enquire through the insurance. I can afford the hit more than my SIL can but he reminds me that this wouldn't really be an issue if it wasn't a neighbour.

Not sure what the best course of action would be..is it unreasonable to ask?

If you can afford it then just pay the family probably going through enough

Surely it's a claim on the neighbours estate, why should you pay it.

I'd tell my sil I wasnt prepared to speak to the neighbours, and advise her to contact her car insurance company with the information.

This isn't your responsibility.

I’d go through insurance

Do you have anything in writing or was it just a verbal agreement? If nothing in writing, I don't see how you can pursue this.

Why is there a scenario where you pay?

You SIL needs to do the communication either with the adult child or through their own insurance. You aren’t an insurance company and this is one reason why all accidents should be notified to insurance companies whether a claim is made or not.

Hopefully SIL did the right thing and told their insurance company even if they were not going to make a claim. They should have done unless they have a very unusual policy.

You have no ‘interest’ in this.

I definitely wouldn’t pay. Whilst I appreciate the situation is awkward, let the SIL and the neighbour have the conversation and let them be awkward about it.
if your SIL is asking you to ask on her behalf, tell her it’s her situation and best she do it. Be honest and say you’d rather not get involved, you feel awkward since he’s passed. If your SIL lives far away, let her make contact/find a day to come and sort it.

Why would you go talk the neighbour? It's your SIL's situation to sort.
Don't pay, that ridiculous!

The executors will need to pay all the debts first before distributing the estate so in order to do that they need to know about them. So decide if ether £600 will go to your SIL or to the beneficiaries.

I'm so confused, I can't tell why you're involved in this or why you would pay? Someone needs to help me out because I've read the OP x3 and feel like I've missed something!

Sorry I should have added this to the original post,

The car in question will be traded in in April so repair need sorting before then.

I'm tempted to pay to get that sorted, and to give more time until the estate is settled..its apparently complicated and may take some time, I'd be happy to wait to claim, but DD and SIL can't afford to wait.

I get its not my responsibility but I just dont want any bad blood and the peace would be worth it to me...everyone happy!

I dont drive so unsure about if the claim with insurance is too late (2 months post event), and the whole excess thing.

Presumably it was your SIL's choice not to go through the insurance, so she needs to take responsibility for this IMO

Why are you even thinking of doing this for your SIL? It’s not your job to start. She should contact her insurance or summon the courage to approach his next of kin herself

its a nice thing to do if you’re sure you’re going to get paid. I mean did the SIL have some sort of legal document to say the money will be paid and that the neighbour accepted responsibility for the accident? Because really the neighbours son could just tell her where to go, he could easily say there’s nothing to prove all this if there isn’t.

tbh your need for people pleasing is quite high it seems, which of course is all very nice of you, but really as a former people pleaser myself, it’s only you that will or could lose out. Tbh you need to take your emotion out if it and I stand with my earlier comment of letting the SIL and neighbour sort it.

Op, this isn’t your problem to fix. SIL needs to contact her insurers. I suppose she could write to the new neighbour. But I don’t see why this awkwardness falls to you.

I'm guessing SIL is Son In Law.

I'd stay out of it, OP. That it didn't go through insurance in the first place is a damned shame - it makes everything so complicated.

Who are you, your SIL's skivvy?

This has nothing to do with you so don't get involved.

It’s literally nothing to do with you. Don’t pay. They need to go through insurance. Trading the car in April has no bearing on it. You would be a mug to pay.

Exactly. If you want your SIL to walk all over you for the rest of your life then go for it.

She was stupid enough not to go through insurance so she needs to sort it out. Nothing to do with you.

Oh, really, why won’t people do the proper thing and deal with these things through insurance ?

Unless my comprehension has failed this seems to be your Son-in-Law and I don’t understand why ‘he reminds me that this wouldn't really be an issue if it wasn't a neighbour.’ What difference does it make with it being a neighbour ? and why would there be ‘bad blood’ ?

If someone smashes into your car. You inform your insurance company. If you decide to settle without an insurance claim (not usually the best of ideas) then at least the insurance company knows and might, just might, help pick up if the other driver doesn’t pay up (although I don’t see why the insurance company should cough up).

Your S-i-L will have to disclose the no fault accident the next time they insure anyway, or are they going to ignore that too ?

She can ask the neighbor herself! Stay out of it.
SIL is a Cheeky Fucker!

This is between SIL and the neighbours estate/next of kin. Nothing to do with you.
SIL needs to make enquiries herself or go through her insurance.
Do not give her the money, you'll never see it again.

I wouldn't be approaching the neighbours DC about it. Are you sure they even know? They might think you're trying to have them over. It seems a bit insensitive to me too. Tell your SIL go through the insurance or contact them herself.