Accidental damage to council bollard

Rosebowl11

Can anyone tell me if you accidentally hit a council bollard are you legally bound to pay for same?

Hal Decks

Rosebowl11 wrote: »

Can anyone tell me if you accidentally hit a council bollard are you legally bound to pay for same?

Are you serious?

Like, who do you think should pay for your actions?

Rosebowl11

It was an accident and luckily nobody was injured. It's a simple question.

Supergurrier

Was coming back from the meet last night and on the N17 there was 2 lines of bollards along the road with not 1 light, if someone was flying along at 60 and saw no car lights ahead and took their eyes off the road for 2-3 seconds it would have been a mess and there would have been money involved but not coming out of my pocket.

Not even reflectors on them ffs, absolute idiocy

sheehan12

if nobody sees you be ok . but you might get a letter council look for a few euro if some goody too shoe see you and gave you nunber plate to council

Rosebowl11

guards were not called as there was no other vehicle involved but someone reported the bollard outside their house being damaged, reported to the council and they have sent out a bill for 400 euros, it seems a bit steep to be honest. Dont mind paying but think it is very unreasonable to be honest

Shakti

Bad luck but I'd say yes unless it was illegally placed to begin with, but your insurance should cover it anyway if the council are invoicing you for the cost of fixing/replacing it, if so whats the cost of a council bollard?

areyawell

400 euro for a bollard my arse. Ask the council for a receipt for the price of a bollard or your not paying it. Not a hope in hell I would pay it!

Supergurrier

400 euro for a bollard, are they serious ?

challengemaster

Rosebowl11 wrote: »

guards were not called as there was no other vehicle involved but someone reported the bollard outside their house being damaged, reported to the council and they have sent out a bill for 400 euros, it seems a bit steep to be honest. Dont mind paying but think it is very unreasonable to be honest

It's not one of these is it?

biko

Depends on what type bollard it is.
400 seems a lot but then again it depends.

godtabh

Rosebowl11 wrote: »

guards were not called as there was no other vehicle involved but someone reported the bollard outside their house being damaged, reported to the council and they have sent out a bill for 400 euros, it seems a bit steep to be honest. Dont mind paying but think it is very unreasonable to be honest

Do you have insurance? Great setup when people have "accidents"

Rosebowl11

no, it's just ordinary black bollard, fixed to a plate. There is no breakdown of price on the invoice. Don't know what evidence they have as to who reported same. Have only third party insurance as car is quite old, it cost nearly 500 euro to fix, but its only means of transport I have and my little bit of independence

fasttalkerchat

Offer to replace it with a caution cone.

CiniO

Rosebowl11 wrote: »

It was an accident and luckily nobody was injured. It's a simple question.

If it was an accident, then decision about liability must be made.
If bollard was at fault of an accident, then council pays.
If you were at fault, then you pay.
Looks pretty simple to me.

colm_mcm

Can you show us a link to a similar one?

Is it a fancy black metal one?

Supergurrier

Refuse to pay until you see an Invoice

I've seen millionaires go to court claiming they couldn't pay for 10 grands worth of building work get away with paying 20 quid a week from a judge, don't be out of pocket 400 notes because you hit a 20 euro piece of plastic

kirving

They're probably billing for labour as well, which is jacking the price up.

Shakti

dont think I'd go through insurance for 400 if your only 3rd party, I'd say haggle with them but be nice/sincere about it.

Jellicoe

Accident or not, you damage, you pay.

Why would you expect other taxpayers to pay instead of you, for something you damaged ?

colm_mcm

Supergurrier wrote: »

Refuse to pay until you see an Invoice

I've seen millionaires go to court claiming they couldn't pay for 10 grands worth of building work get away with paying 20 quid a week from a judge, don't be out of pocket 400 notes because you hit a 20 euro piece of plastic

I'd imagine its something more elaborate if a resident reported it

Rosebowl11

Thanks guys for the replys, just wanted someone elses opinion on same. Looking on accident websites, the advice given is never to admit liability. I assume this is the case here too, but there again one has to be honest. It still seems an excessive price to pay the said bollard has not been replaced and probably unlikely to be replaced even if I do pay. There are other bollards missing and were never replaced.

Guy:Incognito

Kevin Irving wrote: »

They're probably billing for labour as well, which is jacking the price up.

Well unless the OP is going to fit it, they kind of have too.

Rosebowl11 wrote: »

Looking on accident websites, the advice given is never to admit liability. I assume this is the case here too, but there again one has to be honest. .

Someone else will assign you liability anyway. Unless the bollard jumped out and hit your car.......

Rosebowl11

Jellico I dont need to be patronized. I paid my taxes all my life and am an honest person. I am not looking for a judgement here

Guy:Incognito

Rosebowl11 wrote: »

Jellico I dont need to be patronized. I paid my taxes all my life and am an honest person. I am not looking for a judgement here

Your asking for an out for something you did. You hit a stationary object.

Rosebowl11

Yeah I didnt deliberatly go out to hit a council bollard you know and do 500 euros worth of damge to my car.

Guy:Incognito

Rosebowl11 wrote: »

Yeah I didnt deliberatly go out to hit a council bollard you know and do 500 euros worth of damge to my car.

Who said you did it deliberately? It's still your fault though.

Theres no "I didnt mean it" clause when you break something.

Rosebowl11

So many judges here arent there

Supergurrier

High horses galloping in, make for the treeline lads

Guy:Incognito

Rosebowl11 wrote: »

So many judges here arent there

Are you serious? Theres nothing to judge. The bollard is bolted/cemented to the ground and you hit it. Then you look for a way out of paying for somethign that is clearly your fault. Now you get sulky and start giving out?

Look best of luck with it. I just hope you never career in to my driveway and destroy my parked car, no doubt it will be my fault somehow.

colm_mcm

Welcome to the Internet

Rosebowl11 wrote: »

So many judges here arent there

Where To

Had to swerve to avoid a flying sign one stormy day, hit the footpath and broke a couple of kerbs, had to pay to get them replaced. Happened right outside the council offices too.

kirving

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Well unless the OP is going to fit it, they kind of have too.

I know. A number of people siad €400 for a bollard was ridiculous, obviously forgetting the cost of labour.

Rosebowl11

I just asked a simple question in the beginning. I am not getting on my high horse. I just cant believe there are so many 'judges' out there. Most of you have given me an honest opinion. But of course there are always the do gooders as well

Supergurrier

Where To wrote: »

Had to swerve to avoid a flying sign one stormy day, hit the footpath and broke a couple of kerbs, had to pay to get them replaced. Happened right outside the council offices too.

What's the point of paying taxes, if the flying sign hit your car i bet they wouldn't pay up even with the county council sticker on the back

Hal Decks

Rosebowl11 wrote: »

I just asked a simple question in the beginning. I am not getting on my high horse. I just cant believe there are so many 'judges' out there. Most of you have given me an honest opinion. But of course there are always the do gooders as well

If you're honest you will pay for the damage you caused.

Rosebowl11

thanks Where to, I do believe if you do damage you must pay, but was just a bit overwhelmed at the 400 euro invoice, with no breakdown of costs.

Jellicoe

Judge ? This is not some belief/religion issue, so quit the crying.

Accident or not, If I damage property I have to pay for it, I don't expect other taxpayers to pick up the tab for what I damage. What makes you so special that you're exempt from paying up ?

Supergurrier

Hal Decks wrote: »

If you're honest you will pay for the damage you caused.

Are you serious, obviously in principle you are right but this is what taxes are paid for, to cover the little guy in his A to B car he/she needs for work or to find work and thats part of society, the fact they aimed it just above what you would have to pay in insurance excess so you are unlikely to claim makes it even more extortionate.

By some peoples logic in here if i was flying a naval helicopter and accidentally crashed it or it had a mechanical failure i wouldn't be planning on eating anytime soon.

Rosebowl11

You know am sorry i asked the question in the first place

Ristiano Conaldo

Rosebowl11 wrote: »

thanks Where to, I do believe if you do damage you must pay, but was just a bit overwhelmed at the 400 euro invoice, with no breakdown of costs.

Some has to pay for the 10 council workers it takes to fill a pothole. 1 to fill and 9 to stand around looking at him. :rolleyes:

I wouldn't pay OP. I've had numerous alloys cracked and damaged because of huge pot holes on Irish roads and when I rang them up to complain I was basically told to feck off.

Guy:Incognito

Supergurrier wrote: »

but this is what taxes are paid for,.

No, no it's not. This is what the OP has insurance for.

Supergurrier

Atleast you were good natured enough to ask and you are willing to pay, most of the HH posting would have driven away and denied all knowledge, they just spotted an easy target.

I would seek legal advice before paying €400 for a bollard that also did €500 damage to my car, they would question why it was there/was it properly marked/in the correct position/why was it unattended

Guy:Incognito

Supergurrier wrote: »

Atleast you were good natured enough to ask and you are willing to pay, most of the HH posting would have driven away and denied all knowledge, they just spotted an easy target.

I'd imagine that was the OP's plan till a bill dropped through the door. Otherwise the question woul dhave been here the day it happened.

Supergurrier wrote: »

I would seek legal advice before paying €400 for a bollard that also did €500 damage to my car, they would question why it was there/was it properly marked/in the correct position/why was it unattended

I'm sure theres a grand picture of it on streetview the OP could have posted......

Jellicoe

€ 400 sounds about right. It can't be done as some nixer. A pickup and couple of guys will be needed. Cone/sign off work area, removal and disposal of what’s left of the old bollard, collect and deliver new heavy duty bollard, plus the materials for fitting, plus the labour, insurances, fuel etc. plus the VAT.

challengemaster

Supergurrier wrote: »

I would seek legal advice before paying €400 for a bollard that also did €500 damage to my car, they would question why it was there/was it properly marked/in the correct position/why was it unattended

You say that as if he wasn't the one that drove into the bollard. That's like crashing into someone elses car and questioning the repair costs because your car got damaged too.

Jellicoe

4 household charges wasted if this bollard damager does not pay.

Supergurrier

Supergurrier wrote: »

............

By some peoples logic in here if i was flying a naval helicopter and accidentally crashed it or it had a mechanical failure i wouldn't be planning on eating anytime soon.

Whose logic in here would that be?

If the pilot of a naval helicopter crashed the insurance would cover the damage.

Guy:Incognito

RoverJames wrote: »

Whose logic in here would that be?

If the pilot of a naval helicopter crashed the insurance would cover the damage.

Maybe the council that owns the land he crashes in to should pay for it?

Rosebowl11

As a matter of interest what has household charge got to do with a bollard???? I have paid on time my household charge. Have you????

Guy:Incognito

Rosebowl11 wrote: »

As a matter of interest what has household charge got to do with a bollard????

About the same as motor tax. It's how the council gets money to pay for things.