Claim I damaged a car

Heighway61 · 31-03-2021 1:20pm #1

I brought my mother to her doctor today. Parked in the surgery car park. When we came out there was a note on my windscreen saying I damaged a car in the car park, and a phone number.

I know this didn't happen. What did happen was when I was entering the parking space, with a car each side, I thought I mightn't have enough turn so stopped, reversed a yard, stratightened up parked cleanly. We exited the car and went into the surgery.

There was a person in the drivers seat in the car to my right and I think this is who has made the complaint. If he thinks something happened I don't know why he didn't say something there and then.

What would be the best way to proceed with this?

listermint · 31-03-2021 1:21pm

Heighway61 wrote: »

I brought my mother to her doctor today. Parked in the surgery car park. When we came out there was a note on my windscreen saying I damaged a car in the car park, and a phone number.

I know this didn't happen. What did happen was when I was entering the parking space, with a car each side, I thought I mightn't have enough turn so stopped, reversed a yard, stratightened up parked cleanly. We exited the car and went into the surgery.

There was a person in the drivers seat in the car to my right and I think this is who has made the complaint. If he thinks something happened I don't know why he didn't say something there and then.

What would be the best way to proceed with this?

Ignore it until someone contacts you.

Eggs For Dinner · 31-03-2021 1:32pm

Take close up photos of every panel on your car and wait and see if the allegation is followed up

Heighway61 · 31-03-2021 1:43pm

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

Take close up photos of every panel on your car and wait and see if the allegation is followed up

My car is a bit of an old jalopy with it's fair share of scuffs and scratches including one on front right bumper.

biko · 31-03-2021 1:47pm

The other driver may just be chancing their arm that you will ring and offer them a few hundred to shut them up.

Just ring your insurer and tell them your story. Don't ring other driver.

Whocare · 31-03-2021 1:54pm

To fair you might have hit there car as you said youself you're not best driver as you're car is full of scratches and damage

Whocare · 31-03-2021 1:59pm

Heighway61 wrote: »

I brought my mother to her doctor today. Parked in the surgery car park. When we came out there was a note on my windscreen saying I damaged a car in the car park, and a phone number.

I know this didn't happen. What did happen was when I was entering the parking space, with a car each side, I thought I mightn't have enough turn so stopped, reversed a yard, stratightened up parked cleanly. We exited the car and went into the surgery.

There was a person in the drivers seat in the car to my right and I think this is who has made the complaint. If he thinks something happened I don't know why he didn't say something there and then.

What would be the best way to proceed with this?

More likely that person in other car seen you damage a car and put a note on you're windscreen and note on car you damaged I be expecting a visit from garda

People don't usually make this type of thing up

OP check if there any CCTV footage available

Heighway61 · 31-03-2021 2:01pm

Whocare wrote: »

To fair you might have hit there car as you said youself you're not best driver as you're car is full of scratches and damage

Pretty sure I didn't hit another car.

Where did I say I'm not the best driver? Been driving for 20 years and this is my first incident. The reason for scratches is the age of the car and the fact that it was used by two learner drivers in the past.

listermint · 31-03-2021 2:03pm

Whocare wrote: »

More likely that person in other car seen you damage a car and put a note on you're windscreen and note on car you damaged I be expecting a visit from garda

People don't usually make this type of thing up

OP check if there any CCTV footage available

People most definitely do.

The person could have been sitting in their car and assumed the OP got really close. Waited till the OP left and then checked their car only to find some old damage they never knew existed. And then thought it was the OP.

This happens all the time it's not a left field scenario.

Heighway61 · 31-03-2021 2:05pm

Whocare wrote: »

More likely that person in other car seen you damage a car and put a note on you're windscreen and note on car you damaged I be expecting a visit from garda

People don't usually make this type of thing up

OP check if there any CCTV footage available

Note said I damaged the note writer's car.

Heighway61 · 31-03-2021 2:06pm

How would I handle things if the Gardaí call?

bucketybuck · 31-03-2021 2:10pm

Heighway61 wrote: »

How would I handle things if the Gardaí call?

Tell them that you never hit any car and tell them to come back with evidence if they want to say otherwise.

Mickeroo · 31-03-2021 2:12pm

Did the doors hit any of the cars next to you when you or your mother were getting out?

Whocare · 31-03-2021 2:13pm

Heighway61 wrote: »

Note said I damaged the note writer's car.

Well that make no sense as why wouldn't he confront you then. I be ignoring him so unless there's a good explanation

sham58107 · 31-03-2021 2:15pm

Heighway61 wrote: »

How would I handle things if the Gardaí call?

Exactly as above, and ignore it till someone contacts you, personally if somebody hit my especially in Surgery carpark, where parking is usually short term i would wait and talk to driver.

biko · 31-03-2021 2:16pm

Heighway61 wrote: »

How would I handle things if the Gardaí call?

As you didn't hit a car there is nothing to worry about.
You are not obligated to ring that driver.
If Gardai ring, which I doubt, then you tell them what you told us and your insurer.

Gardai won't touch this, they have enough with real crime to deal with. It's not a criminal matter, it's a civil matter.

SteM · 31-03-2021 2:16pm

Whocare wrote: »

To fair you might have hit there car as you said youself you're not best driver as you're car is full of scratches and damage

Wow, talk about projecting. Most car doors have scratches from ignorant dicks that knock them carparks, does that make the owners bad drivers?

cml387 · 31-03-2021 2:17pm

Mickeroo wrote: »

Did the doors hit any of the cars next to you when you or your mother were getting out?

This is what I was thinking.

If someone opens the door into a car you are sitting in it can sound loud, whereas it may not register with the person opening the door.

Whocare · 31-03-2021 2:18pm

biko wrote: »

As you didn't hit a car there is nothing to worry about.
You are not obligated to ring that driver.
If Gardai ring, which I doubt, then you tell them what you told us and your insurer.

Gardai won't touch this, it's not a criminal matter, it's a civil matter.

Depends on garda. I have good garda follow up on situation like this it was on CCTV so made thing easier

Heighway61 · 31-03-2021 2:18pm

Mickeroo wrote: »

Did the doors hit any of the cars next to you when you or your mother were getting out?

No, no doors hit. I went around and opened the door for my mother.

Schorpio · 31-03-2021 2:30pm

I'm not saying this is a scam - but it certainly smells fishy.

A scammers first play is always to get you to contact them. You see it all the time on scam emails (you've won X amount, so call this number). It's a simple way of weeding out those less susceptible to a scam.

As others have said, do not call the number on the note. At all. An average person would have talked to you about it at the time, particularly if they were sitting in their car at the time of the 'incident'.

What I would do is to contact the surgery or car park management company. See whether there is CCTV covering the car park. Even if there is, they may not release it. A lot of places won't unless the guards are involved. If they don't/won't give you the footage, I would just request that they do not delete the recording from today, as it could be required if this allegation comes to fruition. I would probably make that request in writing.

Whocare · 31-03-2021 2:30pm

Heighway61 wrote: »

No, no doors hit. I went around and opened the door for my mother.

Do you think there be any CCTV footage of it

Heighway61 · 31-03-2021 2:38pm

biko wrote: »

As you didn't hit a car there is nothing to worry about.
You are not obligated to ring that driver.
If Gardai ring, which I doubt, then you tell them what you told us and your insurer.

Gardai won't touch this, they have enough with real crime to deal with. It's not a criminal matter, it's a civil matter.

Would the Gardaí not be obliged to follow up a complaint?

Heighway61 · 31-03-2021 2:39pm

Whocare wrote: »

Do you think there be any CCTV footage of it

Not sure if there is. It's a council car park.

Tazium · 31-03-2021 2:57pm

Needs some form of evidence, innocent until proven otherwise. It's been mentioned already, ignore it. IF you are contacted by an insurance company explain what happened,

beachhead · 31-03-2021 3:10pm

bucketybuck wrote: »

Tell them that you never hit any car and tell them to come back with evidence if they want to say otherwise.

Say as little as possible to the police.You can acknowledge you were in a car park.Nothing else.It is private property and one person's word against another.The CCTV footage if any exists will show nothing of consequence unless the camera(s) are facing directly onto the cars involved-it becomes conjecture if cams at an angle or view obscured.

Heighway61 · 31-03-2021 3:15pm

beachhead wrote: »

Say as little as possible to the police.You can acknowledge you were in a car park.Nothing else.It is private property and one person's word against another.The CCTV footage if any exists will show nothing of consequence unless the camera(s) are facing directly onto the cars involved-it becomes conjecture if cams at an angle or view obscured.

Thanks. It's a county council car park, which is public? Would that make any difference to the situation?

cml387 · 31-03-2021 3:17pm

Heighway61 wrote: »

Thanks. It's a county council car park, which is public? Would that make any difference to the situation?

Any place to which the public have access is public, even if owned by a shopping centre or industrial estate.

Heighway61 · 31-03-2021 3:20pm

Got on to the council who say the car park is not covered by council CCTV and they are not aware of private CCTV in the area.

cml387 · 31-03-2021 3:26pm

I'd agree with the advice to forget about it.

If as you say you didn't hit anything, then the complainer can have no evidence to show the Gardai.

Calahonda52 · 31-03-2021 3:38pm

Don't ring the number for all sorts of reasons, even simple identity theft, they have your reg...
If they call you, what note?

Just a question, is the GP service using a Co Co carpark for its private clients?

Claim I damaged a car

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