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Kids causing damage to my car

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  • 23-06-2013 5:06pm
    #1
    ck24
    Registered Users Posts: 71 ✭✭


    Hi, I need some advice and I hope this is the right forum for this.

    There are two children (siblings, aged around 8 and 10) in my estate and they've been coming into my driveway and riding around mine and my boyfriends cars on their bikes. They've done some damage to the cars with their bikes (scraps all around the car, and one particularly bad deep scarp on my car).

    I haven't actually seen them do this but my neighbor has. Last week she caught them scraping my car and told them she was going to tell me. Before she had a chance to tell me the kids ran up to me and made up a story about a man they saw scraping my car with a key, obviously I only later found out from my neighbor what really happened. I then went away on holidays for a week and just came back yesterday, since I was gone there are more scraps on my car and a few on my boyfriends.

    I'm not sure how to proceed with this, should I approach the parents? The family are from Africa and I'm not sure how much English the parents have, so it may not be straight forward. I'm also not completely sure which house they live in (the kids just always seem to be outside in the green), so I can't just go up and knock on the door! Iso alos not sure what I could expect out of a discussion from the parents, I can't see them offering to pay for the damage.

    Or should I just go and make a report to the gardai? But I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do since they're only kids so its probably not anything criminal.

    I was thinking that the next time I see the kids outside I could tell them I know they're damaged my car with their bikes and that the neighbor has seen them. And then ask them to ask they're parents to come over to discuss it with me? I could tell the parents I wanted to discuss it with them before I reported in to the gardai. Does this seem like a good approach?

    Can someone tell me what the legal rights are in this case? Should the parents have to pay for the damage? I hate to have to confront them and don't want to fall out with neighbors but I don't what to just ignore it either.

    Thanks


Comments

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    #2
    Pat Mustard
    Registered Users Posts: 9,554 ✭✭✭Pat Mustard


    Your neighbours' kids are coming in on your property and causing damage. You haven't done anything about it because you are worried about confrontation.

    That hasn't worked.

    You need to go out and clear those kids off your property and bring the damage repair bill to their parents.

    If the neighbours can't or won't pay, you have to bear in mind that a civil action could be a complete waste of time and money. Legal disputes against neighbours can be a bit of a nightmare for the parties.

    At that point, you could consider going to the Gardai. Criminal Damage Act.

    Also, see here, in case it has any relevance.

    All of that said, I'd be very slow to report any of my neighbours to the Gardai.

    I think you could ask in the Accommodation & Property forum, for some practical, non-legal solutions.


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    #3
    professore
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,857 ✭✭✭professore


    close the gate or get one and close it?


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    #4
    JustAThought
    Registered Users Posts: 5,323 ✭✭✭JustAThought


    professore wrote: »
    close the gate or get one and close it?



    Their kids have enough English to lie to you -in English I presume -about a man with a key.... Go to their parents & complain. They'll understand. Tell them that you will also be writing to their landlord -you can check the land registrars in the 4 Courts LR office in Dublin if a neighbour can't tell you who the owner is .

    I had an issue with kids kicking a ball up against my car -the " parent" -nigerian -didnt give a **** -next time it happened i went out and went ballistic - havn't seen the child, or ball, since.


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    #5
    LowKeyReturn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 934 ✭✭✭LowKeyReturn


    Use of lethal force under the Criminal Law (Defense and the Dwelling) Act 2011 :pac:


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    #6
    dharma200
    Registered Users Posts: 998 ✭✭✭dharma200


    I would go over there and try to resolve it with the people aimiacbly.. the parents might have no idea that the kids are doing this, I would not as suggested threaten to go to their landlord without atleast giving the parents a chance to respond and pay for the damage or atleast make sure no further damage is done. Going to someones landlord without atleast trying to reolve the matter with them first is extremely harsh imho.


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    #7
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,278 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    JustAThought wrote: »
    Tell them that you will also be writing to their landlord
    Who says they have a landlord? Them for'ners can own property as well.

    Anyway, it would be better to get the landlord's details via the PRTB, after explaining why you need them.


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    #8
    seb65
    Registered Users Posts: 402 ✭✭seb65


    JustAThought wrote: »
    Tell them that you will also be writing to their landlord -you can check the land registrars in the 4 Courts LR office in Dublin if a neighbour can't tell you who the owner is .

    You should never assume anything, particularly in the legal profession.


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