Is my neighbour being a lying opportunist?

Lorrainbo

Saturday 17th December I park outside my mother's house which is in an estate, the weather is very cold and the roads are like a sheet of ice. My mother's neighbour is sitting in his car which is now facing my car. We both get out of cars at same time, exchange niceties and go into our houses. Fast forward a few hours, I come out of mother's and see my car is bumper to bumper with my neighbours car. I initially thought it was my hand break, but when i got into the car the hand break was up and I always leave my car parked in gear anyway. So my car had obviously been parked up on black ice and slipped until it came to rest against my neighbours bumper. Reversed my car back, inspected both cars thoroughly and there wasn't a bump, dent, scratch, mark of any sorts on either car. So I unfortunately said nothing, I thought no harm done. I'm an honest person, if I had have seen anything i would have brought it to his attention there and then.

Fast forward to Tuesday night, the 20th, the nieighbour messages me to ask me if it was my car that went into his. I replied straight away and said yes, explained the car slipped on ice and I apologised but no damage done. He replies that there was damage done, I call to his house straight away to discuss. He informs me that he had heard the bang, looked out his window and seen my car against his car but thought nothing of it. I asked him why didn't he come get me I was in my mother's for hours. He said he just never thought! He reckons my car that slipped on ice and came to a resting position against his bumper made a bang loud enough for him to hear from inside his house. I don't buy it! For there to be a bang that loud there would have to be big impact and for there to be big impact there would have to be speed. There wasn't, it was a parked car that slid on some ice a distance of less than 2 meters.

He reckons the bang broke his wing light and dislodged his bumper! Bull!

His mother is good friends with my sister and about a week prior to the incident with my car his mother was giving out about him as he had bumped the car again. She was also giving out about him to my brother who works in the local butchers, saying he was outside in her car huffing as he has bumped his car again.

It is my belief that he is being opportunistic by saying my car caused this damage when I know that it didn't, and he is trying to get his repairs done by cashing in on me.

Does anyone have any experience with something like this, do I have a leg to stand on if I refuse to pay for damages that I know are not as a result of my car slipping ever so slowly into his!

Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

How far apart were your cars, was there much of a gradient. How dark was it at the time/street light?

inajock

Are you sure his car didn't slid into your car

JustJoe7240

Absolute bollox, I’d make sure he knows that you know about the incident his mother was speaking about and that’ll you’ll be letting the insurance company know also, No chance the entire car slid on black ice.

Lorrainbo

Bumpers were less than 2 meters apart.

airy fairy

Has the neighbour concrete proof that your car hit his and caused damage? I suspect the answer is no.

Ignore it.

Instal a dash cam to your own car, one that turns on with impact, on the off chance you may have an angry neighbour that may thump or key your car....

Lorrainbo

Very little gradient! There is a slight one, his car definitely didn't slip into mine.

Lorrainbo

It was early evening so dark enough I'm guessing. I can't really recall

Ginger83

You should not have admitted liability first but I would inform your insurance.

inajock

Then tell him to f off with him self

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120042674#Comment_120042674

Okay, little gradient and only two metres apart doesn’t seem like much of a momentum would have built up.

I mentioned the light levels wondering if you could have missed the claimed damage. But, that may be irrelevant if the cars barely touched.

Panthro

Please tell me you didn't text him back saying yes your car slid into his.

Lorrainbo

Unfortunately I did...

I genuinely didn't believe he would be so dis ingenuous and opportunistic. I am shocked that he would be this way inclined. Our families are all good friends and unfortunately this is probably going to leave all a little sour now!

iniscealtra

Just contact your insurance. Otherwise it will escalate.

Whatwicklow

Your car slid into his car, you checked and in your opinion viewed no damage, yet you didn't tell the neighbour or give them the opportunity inspect.

This is your fault, you have admitted it, time to take responsibility and learn from it

Thespoofer

I think the sneaky c!nt may have moved his car towards yours when you were inside.

F@ck him

Xander10

How come the neighbour has your mobile number to text you, are you friends?

Spear

Moved to a forum that's actually related to the topic instead, since this clearly has nothing to do with disputing a forum ban.

endofrainbow

Tell him you have dash-cam footage if he pursues it.

sundodger5

I find it hard to believe that the car moved on ice without some force being applied. i like @Thespoofer s theory. More plausible tbh.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120043386#Comment_120043386

Especially with only slight gradient. Something something physics law… something motion

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120042864#Comment_120042864

So accept anything the neighbour comes looking for? 1k, 2k?

Go way now with your high horse stuff.

OP stop replying to him. You did what 90 percent of us would have.

housetypeb

3 days before he saw any damage? He saw your car bumping his with a bang so he would have at least checked for damage then. He might not notice the bumper at the time but the broken wing light would be hard to miss. Think he's chancing his arm that you'll pay up no questions asked. Let insurance handle it.

road_high

This doesn’t sound plausible. A parked car won’t slide on ice like that. Unless maybe parked on a severe gradient

Count Dracula

Utter Garbage.

_Effy_

At first I thought maybe you'd missed the damage when you first inspected both cars, but I don't know why he would wait until the 20th to tell you. Too much time has lapsed between.

To be honest, I can't understand why you didn't mention it to him at the time so you could both look independently. I also can't understand why he didn't come out after this supposed loud bang either.

AndrewJRenko

Did you see the broken wing light and dislodged bumper?

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120043432#Comment_120043432

Unless the hand brake was left off and it rolled that’s the only thing that would cause this. With the heat and shade of the car severe ice doesn’t tend to form underneath a car (check out the imprints on any frosty morning).

Since I started reading I have drawn the conclusion he definitely just drove nice and gently into your car and then tried to blame you for pre-existing damages.

It was a very stupid thing to do to admit you hit the car, because really you have no idea you actually did. What you know is that your car and his car were touching. That’s all you know for sure. How that came to be is up in the air.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120043558#Comment_120043558

In fairness to the OP - he does imply his car moved towards the neighbours car and not the other way around. I wouldn't have admitted it in a text though for the obvious insurance implications aka possible shenanigans.

Spook_ie

When I was much younger, on icy nights we used to shove cars around on car parks, usually moving them closer together so one or other would have to climb over the gearstick/handbrake to get into drivers seat. Ah a youngster's idea of fun.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120043309#Comment_120043309

If he is says “great, show it to your insurance, it shows your car sliding into mine”?

sundodger5

Second thought, if it was that slippy when you hit his car would it not have moved away on the slippy surface? as per @[Deleted User] something physics...motion... etc.

screamer

Unfortunately I think you’ll have to pay up. You didn’t take any photos of the cars and do you have no proof. You admitted liability and if you send it through insurance they will load your premium. Besides he can simple as take your insurance details off the disc and report it to them himself, and leave you on the back foot. Offer to pay for the damage but have it inspected somewhere you won’t be ripped off. Sorry, it’s a hard lesson but in this case I don’t see any other choice. Might be worth asking the other neighbours if any of them have cctv or similar that might help you out.

Esel

"I was mistaken. My car could not have moved of it's own accord."

newmember2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120045200#Comment_120045200

Indeed, report everything you've posted here to your Insurance company.

"I heard a loud bang and looked out the window. I saw your car had of its own accord moved and made contact with mine. I thought no more about it and returned to watching TV!...lol.

OP ask to see the damage. If the two cars were parked nose-to-nose, how is he after getting his wing light broken?

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120042676#Comment_120042676

Doesn't admitting liability invalidate your insurance policy ? If so you should let the neighbour know that there's no point in going to your insurance company.

Was it windy ? Act Of God ?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120043640#Comment_120043640

Absolutely not a chance! I know it’s easy to look at a situation in hindsight but for anyone reading like just never do that. Even if you’re dead wrong like don’t do it never implicate yourself like that.

Victor

Is there any possibility that a third vehicle hit either of the parked vehicles?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120045579#Comment_120045579

Slid down the Grassy Knoll perhaps?

Interesting! 😅

joeguevara

What exactly did his message say and what exactly was your reply?