Need some advice...

[Adam]

Basically the incident involved a schoolie and my car. This lad was chasing his mate with an 6foot piece of scaffolding with jagged edges down the street. Anyway the metal bar managed to catch my car and gave a 4" scratch in the wing with a dent where the scratch is. Not deep but visible.

Now i caught the lad got his name and number and rang his parents. His mum says she ain't got no money and is a single parent and to ring his dad who doesn't live with them.

Rang his dad who said he knew nothing of it, rang his son for the info and basically told him that its his mess and he has to sort it.

So the kid rang me back and said that he can pay me back £5 a week.

Its nothing much but it aint legally binding plus i wanted a cheque for the full repair not installments.

Anyone help me with what i can do. Call the Police but is that necesary he's only in Year 9 etc, citizens advice bureau possibly. Call my insurance company and get them to get the money from him.

Anyone else had something similar happen. Need advice please.

 

[Roberto]

Police. Without a doubt. And do it quickly.

Harsh but fair.

Rob
Marea Weekend 1.8 16v 115 ELX

 

[dommo]

As he's a teen and unless he's 'known' by them you'll probably find the police will do nothing, maybe visit the mother and have a chat. Your insurance firm will have no power to do anything apart from do the repair work for you and slap it on your insurance. The only possible way would be to take out a small claims on the mother in the law courts. However, this will cost you a fee and there is no garantee that you will win the claim as if she is as she says, single mum not working, she will not have enough income. Agian however, depending on the judge, he could award in your favour but be assured, it would be in installments due to her circumstances.
Do they live local to you? be carefull, it could bring more trouble (re. your car being the target).Iam sure if i had scafold weilding kids near me iwould think twice before opening a can of worms.

 

[Roberto]

And there, in that post, is everything that is wrong with society today. A little scrote wielding a piece of scaffold in the street, fecks up your car and can get away with it because we're either too scared to say anything or the Police are too under resourced to bother. The mother claims poverty (which I don't doubt but I bet she's getting a fair whack in maintenance or CSA payouts) and the father shirks any responsibility for his own son. And the kid learns no respect for others and thinks it's ok to do it again and get away with it !

Meanwhile, you do nothing and you end up out of pocket through no fault of your own because you either repair the damage at your own cost or the insurance pay out (well, they won't if you don't inform plod as it's criminal damage) and your premium goes through the roof again.

Why oh why do we roll over and let these c**ts f**k us up the arse so royally ?!?!?!




Rob
Marea Weekend 1.8 16v 115 ELX

 

[dommo]

Yeh i know what you mean, had simular happen to me and five other cars on my street but with spray cans. Police caught them, Pissed, three between 13,14 yrs old. They took the kids home and told us they could do nothing because of there ages, only if they had form. Days later our cars were trashed. Called police and reported it and was told as we had no proof nothing could be done...it's a joke.