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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Neighbour not happy with us and wants us to pay for car damage

105 replies

abitmorepls · 17/02/2026 14:30

Not me, but my partner. We moved into our new house 3 months ago, and our driveway is right next to our neighbour’s, separated by a small picket fence. Yesterday, my partner decided to wash his car for the first time since we moved here. We didn’t think much of it until our neighbour knocked on our door this morning, saying there were dirt and stone chips on the side of her car, and she thinks it’s from my partner using the pressure washer. We obviously apologised and offered to pay for her to get her car professionally cleaned or suggested that my partner could do it, but she said there’s paint damage from the stone chips and that a clean wouldn’t really help. My partner thinks it’ll be fine after a wash, but she was upset, not aggressive, but very upset, and asked why we didn’t let her know so she could have moved her car. Honestly, we didn’t realise it would be a problem, he used to wash his car all the time at our old house, and nothing like this ever happened. So, what should we do now? I feel caught in the middle.

OP posts:
AgnesMcDoo · 22/02/2026 19:30

If he’s caused damage you need to pay and apologise

Ponderingwindow · 22/02/2026 21:11

You don’t need a pressure washer to wash a car. If you don’t know how to use one properly, you have no business using one in tight quarters. He needs to pay for the damage and not repeat the mistake.

MandemChickenShop · 22/02/2026 21:24

Surely your husband knows what happened.

Personally I think it's unlikely, any bounce back needs to go though your husband and the fence before reaching the other car.

You would see it and hear it.

I think your neighbour is mistaken on this occasion

thetinsoldier · 22/02/2026 22:18

Megifer · 17/02/2026 15:47

And its also a bit fishy that she said if hed have let her know she'd have moved it, but she must have seen him using it, so why not move it at the time?

Maybe she was out? Or just busy, so she didn’t notice?? Not fishy at all.

GreenCandleWax · 23/02/2026 17:09

Ponderingwindow · 22/02/2026 21:11

You don’t need a pressure washer to wash a car. If you don’t know how to use one properly, you have no business using one in tight quarters. He needs to pay for the damage and not repeat the mistake.

Yes, and he needs to do it willingly and graciously, and take responsibility for doing something foolish and inconsiderate. As for someone's suggestion upthread that he use T-Cut on the scratches - why on earth should the neighbour have some amateur bodge done on her paintwork? He's messed up and should be man enough to deal with and put neighbourly relations on a decent footing. Own up and pay up.😀

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