Why is there a car in my backyard?

[Moses]

Sorry, no pics yet.

An hour ago a neighbors house cleaner lost control of her car and drove through two of my fences, knocked over a tree and came to a stop in my backyard. No one was hurt.

The driver is uninsured (of course). I'm still at work, but my wife tells me a tow truck is dragging the car out of the yard right now.

Looks to be a significant amount of damage. Here's the question; Is my homeowners policy likely to cover this?

[MRM]

Either your homeowners' or your own uninsured motorist auto insurance will cover it. Your auto insurance will have coverage for damage caused by uninsured/underinsured motorists. Turn the claim in to both and let them decide who has priority. Call your agent now and start the claim. They will take care of it without too much stress on you.

[Rick Lee]

Can you file charges against the uninsured or is that automatic?

[scottmandue]

Your wife got all the drivers info, right?

[dad911]

Did you call the police, and get a police report?

[teenerted1]

did your wife get pictures?

suprised that they are moving it before an adjuster has shown up.

[Rikao4]

get real,

2 fences, a tree..and you think she has a Lis ..+ no insurance...
your on your own.

Rika

[livi]

Sorry to hear this, Moses. Wonder how one can reach such speed as to cause so much damage in a garden..?

[Moses]

Originally Posted by livi

Sorry to hear this, Moses. Wonder how one can reach such speed as to cause so much damage in a garden..?

The house sits at the bottom of a small hill. Only 4 houses up that hill, but it's steep. Apparently the engine died and the power brakes went out as well.

The drivers husband owns a landscaping company and he has his crew at the house right now cleaning up and getting ready to fix the fences. He says he'll replace the tree as well.

No one was hurt and the driver and her family seem very serious about repairing everything, so things are going to work out just fine. I'm just so glad my kids were not in the path of the car when the accident happened.

[M.D. Holloway]

sounds like the maid got into the cooking sherry...

[MikeSid]

Originally Posted by teenerted1

suprised that they are moving it before an adjuster has shown up.

That's because it's being moved privately...before the police arrive.

While you may not have a collectable claim against the housekeeper, you could sue your neighbor if housecleaner was acting in the course of her employment -which she likely was.

I don't think you're the "sue your neighbor" kinda guy, but if it was the firefighter next door....well...

[Moses]

Originally Posted by MikeSid

I don't think you're the "sue your neighbor" kinda guy, but if it was the firefighter next door....well...

THAT's funny!

I'm not going to call the police or file a claim. My wife took some pictures in case the drivers husband falls through on his commitment to fix the damage. I talked to the drivers husband (his English is pretty good). He seems like a stand up guy. I'll take a chance with him.

[Zeke]

Geez.

"The driver is uninsured (of course).

.....you could sue your neighbor if housecleaner was acting in the course of her employment -which she likely was.

Unbelievable. You'd never think she might be going home.

Porsches and porcupines.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by Moses

The house sits at the bottom of a small hill. Only 4 houses up that hill, but it's steep. Apparently the engine died and the power brakes went out as well.

Did you educate her on the presence of this great invention called an EMERGENCY BRAKE? You know, that's cable-actuated in case of. . . you know. . . EMERGENCIES?!?!

I can't believe how stupid/uneducated people are today with respect to operating automotive machinery. This is precisely the kind of crap that SHOULD be tested for on driving tests. Not whether a person can fog a mirror or drive in a straight line for 30 seconds, but the same kinds of things pilots are tested for with respect to aircraft - systems, emergency procedures, etc.

It'll never happen though. Too many people make way too much $$$ off of licenses being handed out like candy.

[Don Plumley]

Whew. As you said, so long as nobody got hurt.

Fences and property are repairable. If it were my yard in a similar situation, as long as they made good on the repair I would not involve my insurance either. As a backstop, I'd have a conversation with the neighbor as I'm just guessing their housekeeper is not a 1099 employee.

[Don Plumley]

Whew. As you said, so long as nobody got hurt.

Fences and property are repairable. If it were my yard in a similar situation, as long as they made good on the repair I would not involve my insurance either. As a backstop, I'd have a conversation with the neighbor as I'm just guessing their housekeeper is not a 1099 employee.

[m21sniper]

Power brakes do not automatically go out when the car dies. In fact, they're designed NOT to go out when the car's engine dies.

So BS on honeymaid's story.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

They should last for a little while (vacuum assist) although even once those are gone, you'd still have regular hydraulic (non-power-assisted) braking. And the afforementioned e-brake. Inexcusable.

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

Power brakes do not automatically go out when the car dies. In fact, they're designed NOT to go out when the car's engine dies.

So BS on honeymaid's story.

Barreling down a hill, engine off, no power steering, freaking out as that fence looms ahead, and you're desperately stabbing at the brake pedal? I'd give her a pass on not knowing that they were still working.

Now, I could say something like she was probably 5 feet tall, couldn't see over the wheel, was praying to the Virgin hanging from the rearview mirror, all while feeding the 3 screaming kids who were in the backseat unbuckled...

THEN we could put the blame on here

[tabs]

What is the problem here....I don't see any problems...typical CA day in the sunshine...