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Moral Dilemma
Guinness - 26/1/08 at 01:09 PM

On Thursday night it was reeeaaaaallllllllllyyyyyy windy up North! At some point in the night I heard a big bang.

Got up on Friday morning, went out to my car to find a slate from next doors roof lying in bits next to my car



Amazingly it hit the tyre first, as the front wheels were at an angle, which must have taken some of the force out of it, but then bits have scrapped down the drivers door and sill.

Not too deep, but white scratches on my jet black car.

I know it is a tile from next doors roof, as nearly all the houses near me have been re-roofed at some point (110 year old terrace). Unfortunately my next door neighbour is in her 80's and obviously not cash rich.

So what do I do?


Slate 1
Slate 1

Slate 2
Slate 2


matt.c - 26/1/08 at 01:22 PM

doesn't matter if she is old. I live in an old peoples estate and all have more money then me!! If it was your roof tile and it landed on there car they would probabily be banging on your door for compinsation. !!!


blakep82 - 26/1/08 at 01:23 PM

its only (i say only...) a few scratches to the paint and not worth causing the old dear any greif, but let her know her roof needs sorting.

had the tile have landed in the middle of your roof it would be different.

i chose option 1 btw

edit: matt makes a good point too though

[Edited on 26/1/08 by blakep82]


zilspeed - 26/1/08 at 01:24 PM

I'm a big wuss, so in light of who your neighbour is, I would probably just take that one on the chin if it were me.

Life's a bitch etc.


thunderace - 26/1/08 at 01:25 PM

none!!
just pay for it youself .
shes an old lady tell her what happened and if she offers to pay then say thanks
only if she can afford it.
(its good carma)
claim your insurance if you have too.
or buff it our if its not dented.
if your near me i will buff it out for free(if it buffs out)im nr,glasgow


graememk - 26/1/08 at 01:26 PM

i know how you feel, i made an old couple pay for the damage she did to my car door with hers, its not my fault there old and skint they should of saved harder..

if you could bodge a good fix do it and let her know if you cant tell her that you need her insurance details as her roof is buggered


RichieW - 26/1/08 at 01:27 PM

Pop round with the tile and see her and tell her that the tile has fell off her roof and she needs it sorting otherwise she'll get water ingress. At this point you can tell her about the damage to your car in passing whilst playing the concerned neighbour. From there she may even offer to pay for the damage but if she doesn't at least she's been told.

Old ladies always have money for gin, cats and bingo. I'm yet to meet a poor one yet. They all have accounts stashed everywhere with loads of money in.


speedyxjs - 26/1/08 at 01:29 PM

Thats a tough one. If i were you id just go and tell her what has happened and if she offers to pay for it, let her and if she doesnt, either try to make a deal (go halves) or deal with it yourself.


thebull - 26/1/08 at 01:30 PM

i would find out if your neighbour is insured and if she is ask if she will claim for the damage on her insurance


Paul TigerB6 - 26/1/08 at 02:25 PM

As above ^^^^, surely its a case to claim off her buildings insurance. She will have surely need to sort her roof out too but why should you be left with a bill for a couple of hundred pounds. Thats what insurance is for. Just keep it friendly and see what she says.


ex_hustler - 26/1/08 at 02:25 PM

We can all do the right and wrong or choose
to do nothing. . The option is always ours. It
is our actions and choises that makes us
humans and not thinking two-legged
animals..

In your position I would inform her that the
roof is about to collapse at her head and I
would try to repair that for a minimal cost.
Maybe you can ask her to pay the cost of
new tiles but do the job done by your self
at your freetime.


If you can build a car don't you think you can
easily repair minor damages to an 80 years
old poor lady roof?


Plus you buy a ticket to heaven doing good things with no exchange (just kidding about the last one)

[Edited on 26/1/08 by ex_hustler]


Paradoxia0 - 26/1/08 at 02:33 PM

I would call round to recommend that she gets someone to have a look at her roof as you notice that there are a couple of tiles missing, and then point out of said missing tiles it your car and has scratched it. If you then recommend that she speaks to her insurance company as they may pay to get it repaired (if was wind damage after all!) and while she is speaking to them let them know that one of the flying tiles has damaged your car....

Hopefully that will get things moving


StevieB - 26/1/08 at 03:11 PM

The important thing is to make sure she gets her roof fixed ahead of all other considerations.

It's a duty we all have to underatke to mak sure our elderly neighbours are looked after, and if another tile comes loose it could cause far worse problems!


mistergrumpy - 26/1/08 at 03:35 PM

I would let her know that her roof may start to leak and mention about the slate but asides from that I'd just get on with it. It's not like she deliberately did it and it doesn't sound like her house is in a dilapidated state, just one of those things.


onzarob - 26/1/08 at 04:00 PM

quote:
Originally posted by RichieW

Old ladies always have money for gin, cats and bingo. I'm yet to meet a poor one yet. They all have accounts stashed everywhere with loads of money in.


Glad you don't live next to my Gran. think that a very big generalisation there.

BTW I would let her know that the tiles come off and go from there, Just because she is 80 doesn't mean she incapable of understanding things


Guinness - 26/1/08 at 04:03 PM

quote:
Originally posted by RichieW
Old ladies always have money for gin, cats and bingo. I'm yet to meet a poor one yet. They all have accounts stashed everywhere with loads of money in.


Richie, I wasn't aware you'd met her!

Thanks lads

As ever a balanced range of solutions to the problem in hand.

Cheers

Mike


JoelP - 26/1/08 at 06:33 PM

do you like the old dear? I see myself as an agent of karma, if she's been nice in the past id go out of my way for her, if she's been as annoying as one of my ex neighbours then no chance. In the middle id probably fall on the helpful side. I wouldnt ask for money for the car though, not for the money but for the stress it could cause her.


watsonpj - 26/1/08 at 07:42 PM

I heard of this one before and got this quote of another site

"I called my car insurers, and they also said that houshold policies generally will not payout for such events as they are classed as 'acts of God' "

so I go with the fixit yourself and tell her about the dodgy roof. (especially as I like cats)


Mark Allanson - 27/1/08 at 09:14 PM

'Acts of God' cases fall apart very quickly as the defendant needs to prove the existance of God.

Your problem is the old lady is only liable if she is prooved negligent. Was the roof badly maintained, if so you have a case. If it was fine before the storm, then she is not negligent so no claim.

It is the old test case where a lorry kicked up a stone from the road and this hit the screen of a car following behind. The lorry driver had not behaved negligently so was not liable for the damage.


Guinness - 27/1/08 at 09:56 PM

Got a quote from a chips away dude today, £85 plus the VAT

The roof is shot to bits. Been out to have a look today and there are three full slates just sitting there loose

Mike


RichieW - 27/1/08 at 10:05 PM

Looks like your or the old dear have got off quite lightly. It's hard to get a mechanic to suck through his teeth and shake his head for 85 quid.

Hope you are parking elsewhere till the roof is fixed. I spotted a big heavy rotten tree blown down by the winds from Friday near my girlfriends today so it could have been a lot worse in the big scheme of things rather than a loose tile.


davie h - 27/1/08 at 10:28 PM

£85 isnt too much to take on the chin different if it was £850. have you spoke to the woman to let her know about the roof because the couple of slates that are loose might end up falling and hitting someone

Davie


skydivepaul - 5/2/08 at 01:46 PM

tape a copy of the invoice for the work needed for the car to the slate and throw it through her effing window.

if she doesnt pay up kill her cat!!!











only joking............................having a bad day today and that made me feel better


Guinness - 5/2/08 at 02:29 PM

Update on this. I delegated the task of going next door to see the little old dear about her roof to my wife (who tells me she is much more diplomatic and less threatening).

Yvonne came back seething. The next door neighbour couldn't care less. Didn't apologise for the damage. Didn't offer to pay. Complained that getting her roof fixed "might cost thousands".

So I'm at a loss of what to do next. Still parking my car down the street though!

Mike


omega 24 v6 - 5/2/08 at 05:41 PM

Seems to me there is also a safety issue here to be answered. Report it to the local authorities as a concerned citizen who has already borne the brunt of it. Next time the milk bottles build up on her doorstep then don't care less untill the smell bothers you. And before the do gooders comment. I'm in a shite humour after many shite days and am fed up of the not my job/not my problem /I don't care brigade. Next time the wind blows throw a slate through her window at least you'll get your frustrations out.


Krismc - 5/2/08 at 07:41 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
On Thursday night it was reeeaaaaallllllllllyyyyyy windy up North! At some point in the night I heard a big bang.



i feel your pain mike, i had the same situation!!! i heard the wind banging stuff but but ive got a new ''''storm proof cover '''(yea right) next morning i found cover on my car had snapped straps turning the cover into a kite, and pulling off, my heated, electric and electric folding mirrors off my brand new civic!!!

then i relised the bang had been the neighbours bin falling over and nearly hitting the car was i unlucky or lucky i dont know but its costing nearly £700 for 2 mirrors


JoelP - 5/2/08 at 08:06 PM

my newest employee would tell you to reflect her negative energies back onto her. Id say just complain to the council! Its a definate health and safety risk.

Can you find out who insures her house? Or just send her a bill. She had a chance to be nice and missed it...


RK - 6/2/08 at 04:33 AM

Shame about what happened to her cat...

[Edited on 6/2/08 by RK]


Alan B - 9/2/08 at 05:55 PM

quote:
Originally posted by skydivepaul
tape a copy of the invoice for the work needed for the car to the slate and throw it through her effing window.

if she doesnt pay up kill her cat!!!





I'd almost forgotten why I like Paul...

How's it going mate?

Alan