Claim I damaged a car

Heighway61 · 31-03-2021 12:20pm #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 12:21pm

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 12:32pm

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

Heighway61 · 31-03-2021 12:43pm

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 12:47pm

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 12:54pm

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 12:59pm

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 1:01pm

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 1:03pm

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 1:05pm

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 1:06pm

How would I handle things if the Gardaí call?

bucketybuck · 31-03-2021 1:10pm

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 1:12pm

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

Whocare · 31-03-2021 1:13pm

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 1:15pm

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 1:16pm

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 1:16pm

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 1:17pm

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 1:18pm

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 1:18pm

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 1:30pm

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 1:30pm

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 1:38pm

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 1:39pm

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 1:57pm

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 2:10pm

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 2:15pm

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 2:17pm

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 2:20pm

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 2:26pm

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 2:38pm

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?

DaveyDave · 31-03-2021 2:42pm

What kind of person sits in their car while it gets hit by a door and doesn't say anything?

spurious · 31-03-2021 2:48pm

DaveyDave wrote: »

What kind of person sits in their car while it gets hit by a door and doesn't say anything?

One who realised it was a harmless tap but late thought...'kerching!'

tayto lover · 31-03-2021 2:50pm

Totally ignore it.
As far as you’re concerned it’s a hoax or prank. If a Garda turns up tell him the same.
You’re sure you hit nothing so don’t worry about it.

cml387 · 31-03-2021 3:12pm

DaveyDave wrote: »

What kind of person sits in their car while it gets hit by a door and doesn't say anything?

Errm

I left Mrs CML in the car while I did a quick visit to Argos. When I came back she said that someone had opened the door into the side and then...then she got out to check it. I asked did she say anything to the driver concerned, now departed, she said no. There was no damage.

I said that you've already put enough dings in it yourself in fairness.

Actually I might have said the last bit in my head only.

jimmycrackcorm · 31-03-2021 4:05pm

biko wrote:

Just ring your insurer and tell them your story.

If you do this then your insurer will assume there is a claim waiting to be made against you and it may affect your renewal.

Without definitive proof, it's a he said / she said situation. I still don't understand how someone can claim you hit their car, if they didn't actually confront you at the time, unless they have cctv evidence.

MAYOMICK · 31-03-2021 5:26pm

If you didnt do it you didnt do it and thats it.I was in a a situation recently where I was sitting in my car in a Council car park and another car tipped my back bumper causing paint damage.The other driver denied point blank hitting it.I reported it to Gardai and put in a claim with his insurance.They refused to deal with it and suggested I claim off my own insurance and I rang them and they said I would have an open claim on my Insurance while they tried to reclaim off his.I didnt go that route and I am now considering going the legal route but Im not sure if its worth my while.

893bet · 31-03-2021 5:31pm

You better be sure you didn’t hit them. A dash cam in their car may prove you wrong.

FileNotFound · 31-03-2021 5:40pm

893bet wrote: »

You better be sure you didn’t hit them. A dash cam in their car may prove you wrong.

A dash am isn't worth a dam. Inadmissable either way.

If you didn't hit them ignore it. If they have some proof and you're actually wrong in the end, then you deal with that.

Be some oddball to not say it at the time or wait.

Sounds like a chancer.

Eggs For Dinner · 31-03-2021 6:03pm

FileNotFound wrote: »

A dash am isn't worth a dam. Inadmissable either way.

If you didn't hit them ignore it. If they have some proof and you're actually wrong in the end, then you deal with that.

Be some oddball to not say it at the time or wait.

Sounds like a chancer.

Dashcam footage is golden. An insurer reserves the right to handle a claim as they deem appropriate. If the content is clear cut, it will be boxed off quickly

i57dwun4yb1pt8 · 31-03-2021 7:59pm

FileNotFound wrote: »

A dash am isn't worth a dam. Inadmissable either way.

If you didn't hit them ignore it. If they have some proof and you're actually wrong in the end, then you deal with that.

Be some oddball to not say it at the time or wait.

Sounds like a chancer.

stop spouting rubbish - a dashcam works like a charm every time .
been there done that

if you didnt hit them i say forget about it , if someone contacts you , ask them for the proof .

Del2005 · 03-04-2021 11:32am

Tazium wrote: »

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,

This isn't a criminal matter so there's no assumption of innocent. It'll be a civil case judged on the balance of probabilities which is why so many spurious claims are paid out, our judges like to give away money. So it's cheaper for insurance companies to pay out for spurious claims rather than pay a barrister then payout.

Whocare · 04-04-2021 4:12pm

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?

Any update on this

Heighway61 · 13-05-2021 7:25pm

Whocare wrote: »

Any update on this

Not a dickie.

Claim I damaged a car

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