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asm198

My neighbor hit my car. Suggestions?

I'm not sure if this is the right forum, since I live in a house, but I'm hoping someone could give me some suggestions. My neighbor backed into my car on Sunday. I witnessed her doing this and heard her hit me. She didn't stop to check for damage and drove off. I checked my car and she dented my bumper and my headlight has been pushed under my hood, but it's not broken. The damage is obvious.

I went next door to talk to the roommate about this and she refused to help me. She said I could come back at 6 when the girl got home, but wouldn't give me a number. So, I called the cops. When the cop came, he went over there and made her come back. When she came back she called me a liar and said she never hit my car. Then I heard her and her roommates say that the reason I'm lying is because of the last time they hit my car.

The cop said he didn't see any evidence on her car that she hit me, but that he would note on the report that I witnessed this happening and am accusing my neighbor.

Monday, I saw the neighbors outside taking pictures of my car and theirs. I grabbed my camcorder and recorded them, in case they messed with my car. It looked to me that they were wiping something off my car where the accident happened, but I can't be sure. I wasn't able to get any pictures myself until Tuesday because they kept the car in the driveway and I didn't want to be accused of anything.

Tuesday, I went outside with my camcorder and recorded the damage on my car and looked at her car. On the place where she hit me, there is scrapes and white paint. I own a white car. I also took pictures of the damage.

I've talked to the neighbors and no one saw anything. I can hopefully get a copy of the police report tomorrow. The cop said that they seemed very nervous when he talked to them, both times. He had to come back and get her information because as soon as he came to talk to me after talking to them, she left. So the cop seemed pretty annoyed.

So, what do I do now? Talk to my neighbors and ask them to pay? Send them a letter? Obviously, insurance and stuff, but otherwise? Can I give the tape I made of the damage to the cop?

Comments (13)

  • lazy_gardens
    19 years ago

    Call your insurance company ... they handle talking to the other party and collecting from their insurance company.

    KEEP the tape and the pictures, or give copies, not the originals.

  • TypoQueen
    19 years ago

    lazygardens gave you great advice.

    Hand it off to your insurance company. Keep the originals

  • asm198 - Zone 6a (MO)
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Update. I got a copy of the police report and because I can't prove it was my neighbor who hit my car because there was no damage done to her vehicle, the officer didn't put her information on the report. So, I have nothing to give to my insurance. Besides that, I only have liability, so there is not much they could do about it anyway. We have decided to not repair the damage on my car yet and are using the money we would have used for that to install a security system with cameras so that when they hit my car again, I will have video proof.

  • diydana
    19 years ago

    Ever watch judge judy?
    Your outta luck with your word and no proof.
    You could get an lab to sample the paint but there is no proof you were hit and did not do the hitting.
    Hopefully your agancy will pay regardless.
    This happened to me at sears. I followed the woman home and wanted to beat her. I did the higher thing and let it go.
    This was when I was 20 ish.
    Now I carry big insurance and let the jerks hit me.
    Insurance is good.
    :)
    I believe in instant karma.
    She will get it back 3 fold.

  • mjmercer
    19 years ago

    It's good until the insurance company drops you for filing too many claims (regardless of which party is at fault). Here's how the insurance interprets it: Too many claims = high-risk driver = "buh-bye."

  • maidmarion
    19 years ago

    Angelo, I'm not surprised that you would suggest something like breaking someone's windows. Not only are you a RACIST, but you are a THUG as well.

  • SummerBreezeNY
    19 years ago

    Ok . . stop with the RACIST stuff

  • kate1
    19 years ago

    Maidmarion, You know I have been lerking here for hours and I have never read so many off the wall posts. You need to realize that everyone who blinks a eye at you isn't a racist. You use the word racist for attacking, belittling and blaming anyone who you don't aggree with. You might find it helpful to take inventory on yourself and notice your actions and attitude so you can realize that everyone around you is not a racist.In fact I would guess that 75% or more people you have labeled racist are not. They simply find you to be a rude self-centered person that you seem to be. Sorry but if you were lilly white you still would be rude and self-centered. Playing the victim too often or long can hinder your personality, growth and happiness. Victims never get respect from anyone and they don't deserve any either. Lighten up please

  • maidmarion
    19 years ago

    Kate, my posts aren't off-the wall. But I'm not surprised that you can't see that--afterall, birds of a feather. It's funny how the work "victim" always seem to get thrown around by certain types of people when someone tries to defend themselves against bigotry and racism.

  • kate1
    19 years ago

    Sorry I see things different than you but then I was only going by several post you wrote. I don't doubt you run in to racism, in fact I see racism happening too damn often. I just found it sad that you seem to blame any negitive (or what you perceive as negitive)action toward you on someone being racist. The Apt living forum is full of posts complaining about rude and nasty neighbors. When you live in Apts you have a good chance of sharing your living space with creeps,idiots or some form of low lifes.These type of people bother everyone around them. You seem to think you are picked out because of your race first and always. I am not saying it hasn't happened, I am sure it has. After reading so many of your posts screaming racism I started seeing a pattern. Then when you wrote in asking if you had made a big mistake bringing up that your husband traveled to Cuba often. You made it sound as if saying such a thing was a big NO NO, living here? As if the average person in the US would have a problem with that? I can tell you that the average American could care less where you or your family travels.You seem to be first to seperate yourself as being different with anyone you come in contact with and if things don't go smoothly your first reaction is to blame "race" Your race, their race. People have run in's with weirdo's everyday as they go through life and race has nothing to do with it. Believe me you don't have to be of another race to be treated wrong by others. I apologize if you felt I was being insenitve or doubting your negitive experiences with racism. I didn't mean to do that. I was trying to show you that you come off as a person who blames every situation that doesn't go your way on racism. To me you seem a bit racist yourself. Could that be true? Assumming your new landlord was going to treat you poorly because your husband travels to Cuba was a racist thing for you to think. You were the one being racist in this situation. Maybe not knowingly but you were. I am assume this woman was not the same race as you, right? Now would you have made such an accusation about her if she was the same race as you? I bet even if she was born and raised here in the US but your same race, you would have never worried about such a thing.Everybody has it in them to be racist and I believe everyone has been and everyone will be again sometime down the line. This why WE ALL need to work how we see the world and how we treat others. The only person we have control over is ourself.We all have the choice to reject or allow others hate to become instilled in our own hearts. I am sure it is much more easy for me to remember this than others because I am sure I don't have to deal with racism as much as many people. No matter how Easy or difficult one has , it is equally as important for all to remember. Peace

  • maidmarion
    19 years ago

    Kate, I didn't think my new landlord was racist at all about the Cuba thing. What I thought was that she might have thought my husband was involved in some type of underhand activities (terrorism) or something. Who knows. LOL. I told my professor in my Master's degree program that my husband travels to Cuba and he made a joke about my husband being a terrorist. It was actually pretty funny.

    I do run into a lot of nasty and weirdo neighbors just like everyone else I'm sure. And I run into a lot of wonderful people that I am glad to have had as neighbors at the places I've rented.

    These guys were racist though, believe me, I know the difference. But, yes, you are right. Everyone is not racist. I appreciate your Feb. 8th post and thanks for making the effort to explain.

  • maidmarion
    19 years ago

    Kate, I didn't think my new landlord was racist at all about the Cuba thing. What I thought was that she might have thought my husband was involved in some type of underhand activities (terrorism) or something. Who knows. LOL. I told my professor in my Master's degree program that my husband travels to Cuba and he made a joke about my husband being a terrorist. It was actually pretty funny.

    I do run into a lot of nasty and weirdo neighbors just like everyone else I'm sure. And I run into a lot of wonderful people that I am glad to have had as neighbors at the places I've rented.

    These guys were racist though, believe me, I know the difference. But, yes, you are right. Everyone is not racist. I appreciate your Feb. 8th post and thanks for making the effort to explain.

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