What can I expect when the solicitor's letter or Garda arrives?

Jeremy Sproket

I was parked (reverse into) a supermarket car park space with an adjoining row of spaces behind mine. I got into my car and sat there for a moment with the car idling because I was on my phone.

There was two women talking beside my car.

I drove off unbeknownst to me that one of the women had put her handbag on my roof somewhere between the time I got into the car and I moved off.

She wailed like a banshee and ran off after me, I only noticed this as I was closer to the exit. She was able to catch up with me because I was obeying the 20 km/h limit on site.

She banged on the driver side window to get my attention.

She said what I did was "attempted theft". She said this is a strict liability offence and even though I didn't know the bag was there it was my duty to check before moving off.

She said she'll be reporting me to the Gardaí and sending a solicitor's letter to the small claims court because she may have twisted her ankle running after me.

With Ireland fast turning into a litigious society, I'm afraid she'll succeed.

Advice please?

HeidiHeidi

At a guess, I'd be fairly sure neither a letter nor the gardai will arrive.

XsApollo

Seriously.

?Cee?view

Jeremy Sproket wrote: »

I was parked (reverse into) a supermarket car park space with an adjoining row of spaces behind mine. I got into my car and sat there for a moment with the car idling because I was on my phone.

There was two women talking beside my car.

I drove off unbeknownst to me that one of the women had put her handbag on my roof somewhere between the time I got into the car and I moved off.

She wailed like a banshee and ran off after me, I only noticed this as I was closer to the exit. She was able to catch up with me because I was obeying the 20 km/h limit on site.

She banged on the driver side window to get my attention.

She said what I did was "attempted theft". She said this is a strict liability offence and even though I didn't know the bag was there it was my duty to check before moving off.

She said she'll be reporting me to the Gardaí and sending a solicitor's letter to the small claims court because she may have twisted her ankle running after me.

With Ireland fast turning into a litigious society, I'm afraid she'll succeed.

Advice please?

OK, I'll bite! This is a joke, right?

If true, just give it the laugh it deserves and forget about it.

Dav010

What will her answer be when she is asked how her bag got on the roof of your car?

Small claims is for consumer issues.

SteM

She was able to quote criminal law to you after running after your car and 'maybe' twisting her ankle? If this isn't a made up scenario it sounds like you're being set up. Report it to the Gardaí asap.

athlone573

Jeremy Sproket wrote: »

I was parked (reverse into) a supermarket car park space with an adjoining row of spaces behind mine. I got into my car and sat there for a moment with the car idling because I was on my phone.

There was two women talking beside my car.

I drove off unbeknownst to me that one of the women had put her handbag on my roof somewhere between the time I got into the car and I moved off.

She wailed like a banshee and ran off after me, I only noticed this as I was closer to the exit. She was able to catch up with me because I was obeying the 20 km/h limit on site.

She banged on the driver side window to get my attention.

She said what I did was "attempted theft". She said this is a strict liability offence and even though I didn't know the bag was there it was my duty to check before moving off.

She said she'll be reporting me to the Gardaí and sending a solicitor's letter to the small claims court because she may have twisted her ankle running after me.

With Ireland fast turning into a litigious society, I'm afraid she'll succeed.

Advice please?

I would watch out that she didn't put a voodoo curse on you as well.

If contacted by AGS, informal statement as above should suffice

Same goes for claim on your motor or public liability insurance however you may wish to prewarn your car Insurer.

Darc19

Even the most scumbag solicitor would laugh at such a claim.

If she went to the gardai, they'd laugh her out of the station.

You didn't seriously think she's serious?

She put her bag on your car. Not your responsibility.

CosmicSmash

athlone573 wrote: »

Same goes for claim on your motor or public liability insurance however you may wish to prewarn your car Insurer.

That's the last thing I'd do. I wouldn't be saying anything to my insurance company unless they contacted me.

3DataModem

Send her a bill for scratched paintwork?

ClosedAccountFuzzy

3DataModem wrote: »

Send her a bill for scratched paintwork?

If she does contact, don’t forget to mention that you’ll need to consult your legal advisors about possible damage that may have occurred to your reputation.

She did, after all, loudly and falsely accuse you of being a thief in a very public location.

It would be expensive and almost certainly pointless, but it would have more likelihood of succeeding than her going to the Small Claims Court demanding justice.

That’s utterly bizarre if it did indeed it happened.

She’s just shouting legal jargon out of context.

Did she mention that you’re acting ultra vires, or anything about issuing a writ of habeas corpus?

Strict liability? Utter tripe.

ClosedAccountFuzzy

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Strict liability? Utter tripe.

Careful now! There are probably regulations around the sale of and handling of tripe and food hygiene regulations that could well be subject to strict liability.

lol

Buffman

Jeremy Sproket wrote: »

Advice please?

Ignore the crazy people and get on with your day. Also, thanks for the laugh!:D

Marcusm

Jeremy Sproket wrote: »

I was parked (reverse into) a supermarket car park space with an adjoining row of spaces behind mine. I got into my car and sat there for a moment with the car idling because I was on my phone.

There was two women talking beside my car.

I drove off unbeknownst to me that one of the women had put her handbag on my roof somewhere between the time I got into the car and I moved off.

She wailed like a banshee and ran off after me, I only noticed this as I was closer to the exit. She was able to catch up with me because I was obeying the 20 km/h limit on site.

She banged on the driver side window to get my attention.

She said what I did was "attempted theft". She said this is a strict liability offence and even though I didn't know the bag was there it was my duty to check before moving off.

She said she'll be reporting me to the Gardaí and sending a solicitor's letter to the small claims court because she may have twisted her ankle running after me.

With Ireland fast turning into a litigious society, I'm afraid she'll succeed.

Advice please?

You will need to purchase a large stock of ibuprofen or anti-inflammatory to use to relieve the pain you will have in your back from guffawing or laughing uproariously if this goes anywhere. Only an inconsiderate moron would place a handbag on someone else's car as they regularly have metallic fittings which can damage the car. As for driving off with it still on the roof, that is her idiotic fault and certainly not yours.

You have no duty of care or responsibility for other people's foolishness. If she makes contact with you again, consider responding to the effect that you will consider reporting her for harrassment if she contacts you again (whether a third attemp consitutes "persistent" is open to question but FFS the brass neck).

SteM

I joined a company about 27 years ago and the sales lads used to do software demos to prospective clients. This was before large monitors were regularly available so they used to bring out a large office monitor with them and use it in the demo if needed - one of the old style CRT ones, that's how long ago it was.

One of them came back one afternoon and plonked himself down at his desk. He said he'd been packing up after a demo and put the monitor on the roof of his car while he put some other stuff away. He got distracted and drove off with the monitor still on his roof. He was driving out of the car park and looked over to see a couple of cute girls laughing and waving at him, he waved back. As he turned out of the car park onto the main road from the corner of his eye he caught sight of the monitor sailing through the air. He said it all happened like it was in slow motion, just as he realised what they were waving about the monitor hit the ground.

M_Murphy57

SteM wrote: »

She was able to quote criminal law to you after running after your car and 'maybe' twisting her ankle? If this isn't a made up scenario it sounds like you're being set up. Report it to the Gardaí asap.

+1

Sounds like the makings of a poorly thought out insurance racket. Like the lads caught on dashcams deliberately cycling into stationary taxis. Except stupider.

BattleCorp

Sounds like the OP has a very vivid imagination and sense of humour.

Samuel T. Cogley

Colleges back already or are these resits op?

jumbone

Jeremy Sproket wrote: »

I was parked (reverse into) a supermarket car park space with an adjoining row of spaces behind mine. I got into my car and sat there for a moment with the car idling because I was on my phone.

There was two women talking beside my car.

I drove off unbeknownst to me that one of the women had put her handbag on my roof somewhere between the time I got into the car and I moved off.

She wailed like a banshee and ran off after me, I only noticed this as I was closer to the exit. She was able to catch up with me because I was obeying the 20 km/h limit on site.

She banged on the driver side window to get my attention.

She said what I did was "attempted theft". She said this is a strict liability offence and even though I didn't know the bag was there it was my duty to check before moving off.

She said she'll be reporting me to the Gardaí and sending a solicitor's letter to the small claims court because she may have twisted her ankle running after me.

With Ireland fast turning into a litigious society, I'm afraid she'll succeed.

Advice please?

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2001/act/50/section/4/enacted/en/html wrote:

a person is guilty of theft if he or she dishonestly appropriates property without the consent of its owner and with the intention of depriving its owner of it.

Seems pretty clear cut

Captain Havoc

I wish being a c**t was an arrestable offence.

SeaFields

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Colleges back already or are these resits op?

IRAC.....

Tow

SteM wrote: »

He said he'd been packing up after a demo and put the monitor on the roof of his car while he put some other stuff away. He got distracted and drove off with the monitor still on his roof. He was driving out of the car park and looked over to see a couple of cute girls laughing and waving at him, he waved back.

The Garda are know do that with their machine guns, except in their version of the story the gun mysteriously hopped out of the boot... https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/gsoc-investigating-how-sub-machine-gun-fell-from-garda-car-boot-1.3561057

the purple tin

M_Murphy57 wrote: »

+1

Sounds like the makings of a poorly thought out insurance racket. Like the lads caught on dashcams deliberately cycling into stationary taxis. Except stupider.

Smells like a scam alright. Where did it happen OP so people can be aware?

BattleCorp

Tow wrote: »

The Garda are know do that with their machine guns, except in their version of the story the gun mysteriously hopped out of the boot... https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/gsoc-investigating-how-sub-machine-gun-fell-from-garda-car-boot-1.3561057

Sh1t happens. I was shooting in competitions in Germany back in 2015. We were driving back to the hotel when we heard a clatter behind us. Looked back and there was one of my rifles (in a Pelicase) after falling out the back door of the car and onto the road. There were a few others about to fall out. Either myself or one of the other lads didn't shut the boot properly (it was an estate car). Luckily we heard it fall, otherwise we would have kept on driving and I would have had some serious explaining to do regarding the whereabouts of one of my rifles.

Curious_Case

Officer, I can assure you that the time between the completion of my routine visual vehicle check and the subsequent ignition and engagement of clutch can only have been seconds.

Darc19

?Cee?view wrote: »

OK, I'll bite! This is a joke, right?

If true, just give it the laugh it deserves and forget about it.

looking at some of the other threads by the op, I suspect you may be quite correct.

billyhead

The OPs post is hilarious. A Garda would have a great laugh if you reported what she said and intended to do.

Jim_Hodge

the purple tin wrote: »

Smells like a scam alright. Where did it happen OP so people can be aware?

It didn't happen so the fictitious location can be anywhere you wish it to be.

lawrencesummers

Last time I looked it’s difficult to send a solicitors letter to a car.


Did you give the crazy your address?

knucklehead6

i like Mr Feg's new alter ego.

At least this one can spell