Car damaged in own driveway!

[crashmy911]

So my wife Say's I should let it slide that my two neighbors kids took a plastic golf club to my m3. The hood has 20 dings threw the paint. The sunroof has at-least 15 similar dings threw the paint. Some more dings on front fenders and front end. All threw the paint. Car has a perfect blue metallic paint job from factory. Well had a perfect paint job. Wife Say's because the car has 94,000 miles I should leave it as is and drive it that way. What would you guys do it this happened to your m3. Like a said I paid a premium for it last year. the car had been garaged and covered its entire life. Actually got forth in the pca in auto crosses with it this year. My wife thinks that the neighbors will never talk to us again if we have them pay for it. He is actually came to the front door and told me his kids did it to my car and he will pay for it. No estimates yet but I think they will replace front hood and sunroof panel. Also some paint work on front end and rear end. Most likely paint entire car. My wife puts everything back on me and thinks I should eat it so we retain a peaceful neighborhood. All my neighbors are Doctors and Pharmacists. You would think in a affluent neighborhood like this things wouldn't happen.

[kilodawg]

Do you really want/need to stay married to this woman????

[dimeified]

Take him up on the offer to pay for repairs. They would have to be pretty lousy neighbors to never talk to you again if you ask them to pay for damages that was the result of their child's wreckless behavior. Check with your insurance first, maybe they might cover it? You can just say you woke up and found your car that way, you dont know when it happened or how it happened, but it looks nasty.

[NY65912]

Your neighbor IS responsible, period. A minor's actions are the responsibility of the parents.

If my kids did it I would pay and so would the kids.......they would have to work it off!

If someone did not pay what kind of message would it send to the kids?

It's perfectly fine to damage other people's property?

Make them pay and teach them all a lesson.

[trj911]

New panels or repaired panels, it doesn't matter. A good paint job will cost at least $3k and it will be hard to match that paint. A total repaint will be up to 5k. Have your neighbor turn it in to his insurance to pay for it.

[Buckterrier]

1). Your neighbor is a stand up guy.
2). His kids need 200 lashes apiece, then punished
3). The wife... well... she must be a liberal
4). You won't have ANY respect in the neighborhood if you let this slide
All the above is MHO

[porsche930dude]

Yes i totally agree they should pay. Just be nice about it so they stay on good terms. If anything THEY should be afraid that youll be pissed and never talk to them again. Not the other way round

[Macroni]

They are responsible! I would handle it in a very straight forward manner. Here is the bill.

[village idiot]

Originally Posted by trj911

New panels or repaired panels, it doesn't matter. A good paint job will cost at least $3k and it will be hard to match that paint. A total repaint will be up to 5k. Have your neighbor turn it in to his insurance to pay for it.

+1

[N11Porsche]

I am all for keeping peace in the neighborhood. If a neighbor's dog barks, on occasion, I let it go. (even though barking dogs, at night, irriatate me)

What your neighbors' children did goes way beyond barking dogs or any other irritants that can crop up in a neighborhood. Your neighbor is doing the right thing in offering to pay for it and I think you would be foolish not to take him up on it. If you don't, this is going to bug you for a long time. Why should you suffer through this for what someone else's children did.

Get it taken care of and move on. I don't know why your wife feels that asking your neighbor to be responsible for his children's irresponsible acts is unresonable.

[FastCarFan]

Absolutely they should pay. You could also report it to your insurance company & let them work it out with the neighbors. The insurance company would not want to pay so they would definitely go after them.

Kids do things -- they are kids. But if your kid does something like that you are responsible. Period. And it sounds like the kids' father is trying to do the right thing.

Have them fix it! And it should be fixed to the condition it was. If the paint really was perfect, it should not matter how old the car is -- you should be made whole. Heck they also owe you a rental car for the time your car will be in the shop, but you can let that slide...unless they get ugly about it.

[CarreraDan]

Time for the neighbors to learn about responsibility and that their children's actions have consequences. I would have a body shop prepare an estimate and let them take care of it after all you paid a premium for this vehicle. We have some little punks in our neighborhood who need to learn about messing with other people's stuff. They have broken windows in new homes, spray painted boats left outside, think it is funny to bash $300 mailboxes--all this in one of the better subdivisions in town. One neighbor took one of the little punks home in handcuffs as he is with the FBI at 4am for trying to vandalize his home and the parents yelled at him for catching junior--I would have flipped out. Don't let this slide, you never know what they will do next if you do. How old are they? Most of the trouble here tends to be from the 13-15yr olds.

[MT930]

Originally Posted by NY65912

Your neighbor IS responsible, period. A minor's actions are the responsibility of the parents.

If my kids did it I would pay and so would the kids.......they would have to work it off!

If someone did not pay what kind of message would it send to the kids?

It's perfectly fine to damage other people's property?

Make them pay and teach them all a lesson.

Amen

[JeremyD]

definitely make him pay - if it was my kids I would pay AND my kids would be washing and waxing your car every two weeks for the next year.

[lars63]

Count me in with the rest of the folks, have him pay up, especially if he offered. Good luck

[RWebb]

Take him up on the offer to pay. ALSO tell him you'll ask around to see if it can be done with used parts, and to try and hold the costs down as much as possible.

You don't need to accept an inferior job - just make that offer. If there is not peace in the 'hood it is not b/c of you.

[AshEvan]

1. its the right thing to do as they are responsibile for their kids actions. Paying for the repairs is the moral, ethical thing to do.

2. If their son threw a rock at school and blinded another child, and a lawsuit was filed against the parents of the child (what is the price of lost sight for life of a child? $$$$$$$$$! Their homeowners insurance liability portion would respond on their behalf and should also address property damage as well.

If I were your neighbor I would demand to pay for my childs actions.

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by Buckterrier

1). 2). His kids need 200 lashes apiece, then punished
3). The wife... well... she must be a liberal

1) paint sniffing can invoke vicious behaviour.

2) and wildly distorted perception.

"He is actually came to the front door and told me his kids did it to my car and he will pay for it."

You have a standup neighbor who wants to make it right. Of course, let him. Seems your problem is your wife.

[crashmy911]

Thanks guys, now I can show my wife this thread and I won't look like that bad guy.

[Buckterrier]

Darisc, how did you know I have worked for a paint company the past 24 years?

Glad we all helped Crashed, good luck! (just kidding about the lashes)