Am I responsible for car damage here?

JizzBeans

I stayed in a hotel recently and one morning went to charge my car using the onsite charger. However, when I arrived I found the space had be occupied by a non EV car. The charging space was located in the corner of an underground car park, and the charging unit was wall mounted. As I wanted to top up my battery for an hour or so while having breakfast, I was forced to run my cable over the bonnet of the occupying car to connect to the charger.

When I arrived back after the hour, I was confronted by the owner of said car who was also apparently having breakfast. She was visibly upset, started saying she would complain to the hotel, take my reg, claim off my insurance, etc. She claimed that I have scuffed the paint on her bonnet and damaged a wiper where my cable coiled over it. There did seem to be some damage where she pointed but that could have been caused by anything. I don't believe it was my cable. She then started to take pictures of my discs and reg, however I manged to remove my cable before she started taking pictures of it on her bonnet.

Is this grounds for a claim and would I be liable in any way?? As far as I could tell there were no cameras in the area and she didn't get pictures of my cable. I tried to explain that she shouldn't have parked in an EV space and her car wouldn't have been damaged. Also there was a sign up in the car park saying "cars parked at owners risk" so technically it would be her fault anyway right?

Buddy Bubs

Are you for real? I'm an EV driver myself and I'm sure it's annoying but I wouldn't run a cable over someone else's car.

You haven't a leg to stand on here if it was your cable that did it.

”I tried to explain that she shouldn't have parked in an EV space and her car wouldn't have been damaged" - this line suggests you did damage it.

”Also there was a sign up in the car park saying "cars parked at owners risk" so technically it would be her fault anyway right?" - that line is put up by owners to basically say we are not guaranteeing your car.

Bizzare post, yes if it was your cable that damaged it then it is obviously your own fault.

You just wanted free electricity and damaged someone's property to get it.

L1011

If you damaged it, absolutely.

JizzBeans

I don't believe I did damage though. I suppose my question is does parking in an EV space void her claim?

Jim_Hodge

If this isn't a wind-up, then of course you are responsible. The signage is for the protection of the hotel, not people doing something absolutely imbecilic and damaging someone's car. Your actions are beyond belief. You'll have a job fighting any insurance claim she might make.

Edit: Remember your thread on people taking responsibility for their own financial situation? Perhaps you should take responsibility for your actions, rather than looking of an out.

Ginger83

Deny all. Her word against yours and without photos of your cable on her car she has no evidence.

The first thing your insurance says is do not admit liability so tell them you don't believe you caused any damage and leave it with them.

SteM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121203564#Comment_121203564

Of course it doesn't.

Rows Grower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121203575#Comment_121203575

Especially not the evidence you told the world in your own words.

JizzBeans

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121203574#Comment_121203574

I don't see how that thread is relevant here? I didn't cause damage, the other party is claiming I did. The real issue here is the obnoxious parking by the woman.

Buddy Bubs

You told her if she didn't park there she wouldn't have suffered damage. In your opening post you said that.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121203610#Comment_121203610

The real issue is you running a cable over someone else's car.

Cars parked at owners risk is to cover the parking company if the car is broken into. It does not mean you can damage someone else's car.

I would also expect the hotel does have camera's. Don't see why they wouldn't.

In terms of the lady parking in the spot, it might have been the last spot the night before. In this situation you should of went to front desk, they take the number plate of guests and would have contacted her. Simple process and would have given you full access to the spot without potentially damaging her car

Honestly I have no idea why you think it was ok to run a cable over someone else's car.

mickdw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121203564#Comment_121203564

Clearly not.

By your thinking, could you stunt her car out of the way and basically write it off because she parked where you wanted to?

Ryath

Obnoxious parking does not give you the right to damage somebody's car no matter how much you were inconvenienced. From the sounds of it you didn't even urgently need to charge. An hour on Ac isn't going to add much anyways.

It's a heavy cable that is often going to have parts of it lying on the ground so picking bits of sand and grit. It wouldn't take much movement of the cable to scratch the paintwork.

FishOnABike

Next time be smart enough to have your car run completely flat 😉 directly in front of the car ICEing the charge point. Not your problem if you can't move your car. Shame if they need to get somewhere in a hurry. You might be off somewhere looking to get help with your car and difficult to find.

kanuseeme

damaging a car for a euros worth of electricity, you would get maybe 50 km from it, and it's her fault because she parked in front of some box on a wall.

"obnoxious parking" lmfao

kirving

I never run my cable over the bonnet.

Did it once with a pressure washer hose, and left scratches all over the A-pillar.

Problem for you is, that even if you didn't do it, your actions could easily have scratched the paint. I don't think your car insurance would cover it either tbh, maybe under some personal liability clause if your insurance has one?

If you genuinely believe you didn't do it, forget about it. She wasn't quick enough to take photos.

If you think you did though, pay up, it's only fair.

Also, I may not be a mod, but why is it that every strange story on boards.ie get the "This is a wind up" response?!

Large bottle small glass

You might have a get out of jail card. If she was an over night guest of hotel, then see section below

https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1963/act/7/section/6/enacted/en/html

Free legal advice warning of course 😜

JP Liz V1

Was the the damaged car in an EV charging spot but was not an electric car, I think you are still liable as it was your cable

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121204072#Comment_121204072

But that would only be the case if they can't identify who done the damage. They have the OP number plate etc

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121203610#Comment_121203610

Of course you caused damage and you know you did. You told her there would have been no damage had she parked elsewhere. You removed the cables before photos could be taken and you're relieved there are no cameras on site, while hoping a disclaimer notice covered it. You sure knew you caused the damage, so step up and be a responsible adult.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121204072#Comment_121204072

Doesn't cover this, as the OP is clearly responsible.

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121204130#Comment_121204130

Because the vast majority of them are a windup, the site is plagued with them.

Note for example that the OP does not say how the discussion with the lady ended or what was said before either of them left, as if he is still in the car park just waiting for boards.ie advice before deciding what to do next.

I also like how she was taking pictures of the discs on the windscreen and the reg plates but a cable draped across the bonnet could not possibly be visible in any of those pictures.

Ironically, the tale being false is a better look for the OP than it actually being true.

kirk.

Another jizzbeans windup

screamer

She can get the cctv from the hotel. It doesn’t really matter you will have to pay up. Just because someone parks somewhere they shouldn’t does not give you the right to do what you did, and in doing so damage her car. You are liable for the damage and it’s that simple.

lawred2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058317113/am-i-responsible-for-car-damage-here

100% responsible every single day of the week

serious bang of self entitlement to even consider it ok to run such heavy cables over another person's car..

car's parked at owner's risk is to absolve the premises of responsibility... not people who do something as daft as you did.

lawred2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121203575#Comment_121203575

disgusting

Whocare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058317113/am-i-responsible-for-car-damage-here

Lol it Obvious your responsibility hopefully claim for hire car as well

nachouser

Wum. "Forced"

JizzBeans

Just to be clear

1. I absolutely refute the claim, I didn't cause damage. I think she was more annoyed at seeing the cable on her bonnet and exploded at me to save face because she knows her actions caused this situation.

2. Telling the person "she shouldn't have parked there to avoid damage" was general commentary, not an admission of guilt or evidence. More like, don't park here if you don't want to be clamped.

How else was I suppose to charge my car? I was forced to place my charger on the bonnet as it was too short to go around, and I didn't want to put it under her car because it could have been damaged if she drove over it

kirk.

Notify your insurance anyway

I think the wording usually goes "any incident which may give rise to a claim"

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121204462#Comment_121204462

Go charge it somewhere else? You didn’t even need to charge it.

SteM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121204462#Comment_121204462

You didn't have to charge your car. You said yourself in your OP that you wanted to top up your car for an hour meaning you could have left it and not put your cable over her car. You were in the wrong, you did the damage, you know it and you're trying to weasel out of it.

MojoMaker

Read the room @JizzBeans

Giving EV owners a bad name here.

JizzBeans

Look I'm not interested in people's opinions about my charging cable, I placed where I did as I had no choice.

Really my point is, how viable is her claim if she chooses to make one? What sort of question can I expect?

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121204498#Comment_121204498

Notify your insurance and let them deal with it

Will insurance even pay on this

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121204498#Comment_121204498

Seems like a valid claim to me, weather it be through the Gardai or their insurance.

Marcusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121204506#Comment_121204506

All the more viable with your admissions here that you were so concerned. About damage to your cable that you placed it over rather than under her car. I would expect damage to her car from the cable being draped over it was more foreseeable than damage from her driving across it. Her insurance company would likely have a valid claim against you but perhaps not against your insurer. Will they bother taking it?

Calahonda52

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121204462#Comment_121204462

Complete and utter boXXol under too many headings to list.

On the Only if argument: if your aunt had balls she would be your uncle.

Thank god for the ignore option

Ezeoul

Completely responsible. You had choices and you made a bad one.

You could have taken her reg number and gone to reception - they would have contacted her to go down to the carpark to swap parking spaces with you.

There was no need for you to do what you did. I suspect you were just trying to make some kind of point.

However, if there is any truth to this, it will most likely turn out to be a very expensive top up for you.

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121204371#Comment_121204371

The OP refutes the accusation and there is nothing disgusting about defending oneself and being innocent until proven guilty!

jaffa20

She probably had photos taken of the cable on the car before you returned.

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121204976#Comment_121204976

Or innocent because there is no proof of it actually happening.

goochy

As its on private property can guards become involved ?

uberwolf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121205730#Comment_121205730

if it's a criminal act yes, like anything else.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121203564#Comment_121203564

Of course it doesn’t. Your at fault. Own it

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121205730#Comment_121205730

My car was hit in a private courtyard years ago and the Garda that came out said he couldn't help and the other car had no insurance

xhomelezz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121204462#Comment_121204462

I would certainly do not put anything on the top of a car which is not mine. Might be old schooled, basic manners in play op.

goochy

the op should pay up , if woman has a picture of cable going over her bonnet from his car ( with reg. no. shown ) they dont have a leg to stand on but otherwise hard to prove.

the.red.baron

What kind of able is going to damage the paint on a car like that

goochy

DOESNT TAKE MUCH TO DAMAGE PAINT

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121206610#Comment_121206610

No need to shout it!