AIBU to expect my neighbour to pay after scraping my parked car?

[Yournextdoorneighbour]

I live in a detached property and am currently having some building works done.

I asked my neighbours if we could use their drive to access my garden with large machinery which they seemed quite happy to do. Because of building works and my builders van I parked outside my house on the border of the dropped curb to said neighbours drive.
I recieved a call last night from the neighbour (female) saying she hit my car. I was out so I told her I would call her later. I did message her saying what had happened and she replied I had blocked her in. I hadn't. There was plenty of space to enter and exit.

I got home late so messaged neighbour would call in morning - I messaged this morning and said call when free. Neighbour popped over around 2pm and asked what I wanted to say.
I showed my confusion as my car had been hit (huge scrape on left bumper paintwork deeply damaged) so was expecting some sort of solution.

To cut a long story short my neighbour wanted me to forget she hit my car as I have used their drive and I had blocked her in. I hadn't. Admittedly closer to their dropped curb then I wanted to be but plenty of drive and grass verge to exit and enter.

She did say I can call the police but she has taken videos of where I was parked and it would be my fault as I was on their drive according to her. (I moved my car after taking pictures of where I was parked) back to my normal space last night when I got in.
Neighbour got really wound up and said why didn't you just say last night not to worry about it as your getting works done and the car being damaged with so much going on is something I should
expect. Also your builder knocked when I was showering etc etc.
I did remind the neighbour they were two seperate issues, the drive access and my car being hit but neighbour insisted it was my fault and insurance would agree as such.
I don't want to fall out with neighbour. So I said I will leave it. I have also told my builder not to ask access to their drive again as I don't want any more favours.
Was I being unreasonable to feel annoyed that the two issues were connected and for me to be left with a scratched car which I have to pay for myself? I don't know why I feel so angry at myself for not doing things different but I don't know what I could have done without angering my neighbour.

It sounds like your building work been more of a hassle than you think. Having large machinery driving across their drive and parking right up to their drive has clearly been too much.

Were you blocking their drive? She clearly think so.

I would probably have said I’d get a quote then go from there.

If it was cheap to repair then I’d suck up the cost. Your neighbour has been kind letting you use their access.

You gave the impression they didn’t need to worry about it but now you’ve changed your mind. You’ve pissed them off with your parking and now with communication.

No I wasn't blocking their drive as mentioned in my OP.
The neighbour gave access to my garden where the machinery stayed, not on their drive. Their drive may have been used a few minutes if that by way of exit and entry. I have planned to take them flowers and chocolates as a way of thankyou as it's very recent thing.

It’s incredibly annoying, but I guess it’s down to how far you want to push it and whether you’re willing to fall out over it? There’s no excuse for hitting a stationary vehicle, no matter how close it’s parked and I suspect she’d be hard pressed to make it your liability. However it sounds like she’s already pissed off with the building disruption and feeling hard done by.

I don't think I did give them any impression it was ok I said I was out can we talk when I get in. I think the neighbour expected me to say it's ok after the initial contact which I didn't do.

I think this is what has happend. But I would have just expected a message to say they don't want to offer their drive anymore. I don't know I'm just taken back about how it's being used against hitting my car.

Even if you were blocking her drive (probable), she can’t just drive into your stationary car and she is liable. She can be pissed off she’s blocked in and rightly so, but she can’t just crash into you - it is 100% her fault.

This is the thing she wasn't blocked in she got in and out fine it was when she came back she reversed and misjudged and hit my car.

Legally, you could press the issue.

morally and for the sake of neighborhood harmony, I would just pay to repair my own car.

telling someone they had enough room and could drive on the “grass verge” is beyond annoying as a response.

Then she must pay! Simple as that. Same if you were in a car park and she misjudged it and hit you - it’s HER responsibility not to hit other cars and if yours was parked and stationary then you cannot be liable for the accident whatsoever.

She was driving her car and hit your parked vehicle. Irrespective of where it was parked or what else was going on, surely that was her fault?
I'd be asking for her insurance details and letting your insurers deal with it

I didn't say that to her I promise - I just thought it.

It’s her fault.

I agree with this.
Particularly as this neighbour has had to put up with your heavy machinery accessing her driveway for weeks.
I highly doubt it was " just a couple of minutes each day"
It doesn't excuse the dent to your car, but your "grass verge" comment reeks of entitlement.

Yeah, this really.

She’s been inconvenienced, you admit yourself you were parked closer to her drive than you should have been, now you’re inconvenienced too. For the sake of someone you have to live beside I would just leave it and sort car yourself.

You obviously have caused your neighbour a great deal of inconvenience with your requests which they agreed to. I think under the circumstances you should pay for the repair yourself.

Would also add if you were on the dropped kerb and she has video of that then you could be fined anyway so you’d still end up paying something. We had something similar in our last house and they were fined for being parked like that with photo & video evidence.

Contact your insurers and let them deal with it.

I'm conflicted because I want to stress it hasn't been weeks it's been 2 days of access - one day to get to my garden one day to exit my garden) - I am a good neighbour. Have kept an eye on their home and out bins out and brought back when they are away, taken parcels while they are on holidays.
Not sure what I could have done any different to make it less stressful for them other than not use their drive anymore?
but separately I'm annoyed that my car is damaged and there wasn't even an offer to fix it more it's your problem because you parked there and you had access to our drive.

Not parked on their dropped kerb & not have used for any access.

Once you start accepting favours from neighbours there is very rarely no returning them.

Lesson learned! My neighbour did message after our chat to let her know if I needed anything?! 😶

plenty of drive and grass verge to exit and enter

No one should be parking in such a manner that means someone has to use the grass verge to exit their drive.

That said, of course someone blocking your exit does not mean you can drive in to their car. Just go through your insurance company giving them her details. It’s all you can do if you don’t want to cover the cost of repair yourself.

I say this because they do this anyway with their other cars that they don't park on the drive! They use the grass?!

It’s one thing them deciding that they’ll use the grass, and another thing for them to need to use the grass because of the way you parked. While she’s obviously at fault hitting a stationary car, I’d suck it up given I’ve inconvenienced her and not parked where I usually would.

just exchange insurance details and let the insurers sort it out surely? Same as any other motor vehicle accident.