Damaged a parked car while parking; now on the hook for $$$

[lightbulb]

My teenage son was backing up to parallel park but was too close to the parked car he was trying to park behind. Unfortunately our 2 month old car scraped the rear panel / bumper of the fairly new Nissan Rogue before I could tell him to stop. We did the right thing and left our phone#. The owners were of course grateful we 'fessed up instead of driving off. So now they've sent along a repair estimate for about $1,400 from a body shop through their local Nissan dealer. Based on my own recent experience with some body work and related painting, the cost doesn't seem way way out of line. But what suggestions would anyone offer for my response. I want to be fair and know it's already a hassle for them but if I can payout less, that would be even better. Can I direct them to get another estimate through someone of my choosing?

[Ojam]

Well they could always go through insurance. I'm certain your premiums won't go up that much with a teenage boy with one accedent under hot belt.

[XtremeModder]

Well they could always go through insurance. I'm certain your premiums won't go up that much with a teenage boy with one accedent under hot belt.

I hope your joking about the premiums.

I was in an accident back in 2005 which thankfully I no longer pay for.

My premiums went from $220/month to $400/month

You know what the damage to the other was? $1000
My car: $600.

I offered the guy $1500 cash to settle privately, he was an idiot and wanted to do it 'the legitimate way'...

Seriously, pay the $1400 and hopefully your son can pay you back in installments. Lesson learned to be a little more careful.

[Dilton]

Respond with something like this:

Dear So and so,

Allow me to once again apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you by denting your vehicle. We have received your estimate for $1400, and while we intend to do the right thing and compensate you for the damage, we are currently in a difficult financial situation. We would therefore appreciate it if you would consider calling more body shops to see if you can find a less expensive one. As you might be aware, dealerships tend to charge more for comparable work than many other reputable body shops. If you insist on the $1400 quote we will oblige but we could really use your help in this matter.

Thank you,

Your name

[Tommy74]

The estimate seems too be about right - if its a fairly new car - it will cost money. Just remember - its only an estimate - after they take the bumper off, they might find more damaged parts (brackets, mounts etc..) and the final bill will be double that estimated amount. Than they will ask you to pay for it or they will call the insurance....

[phonzy]

Did this happen on private property. If so there are different rules i think in terms of going through insurance

[JohnB]

My teenage son was backing up to parallel park but was too close to the parked car he was trying to park behind. Unfortunately our 2 month old car scraped the rear panel / bumper of the fairly new Nissan Rogue before I could tell him to stop. We did the right thing and left our phone#. The owners were of course grateful we 'fessed up instead of driving off. So now they've sent along a repair estimate for about $1,400 from a body shop through their local Nissan dealer. Based on my own recent experience with some body work and related painting, the cost doesn't seem way way out of line. But what suggestions would anyone offer for my response. I want to be fair and know it's already a hassle for them but if I can payout less, that would be even better. Can I direct them to get another estimate through someone of my choosing?


Your son cant drive, you cant spot him, and not you dont want to pay for the guys new car to get dealer service...sounds good to me.

I would have just called my insurance, too much hassle with guys like you...

[JohnB]

I hope your joking about the premiums.

I offered the guy $1500 cash to settle privately, he was an idiot and wanted to do it 'the legitimate way'...



Yeah the other guy is an idiot...suuuuuuuuuuuuure.

PS - Yes he is joking about the premiums.

[Ballroomblitz]

Cars are expensive to fix these days, I would personally at this point pony up the money for his repair seeing he is being more than fair in not going through insurance. I know I would appreciate not getting insurance involved, you lose big time if that if the situation as you would already have one strike against you and the slightest fender bender and you could stick in a fork cause you would be done. Next time ask in advance for three quotes, going back now you can ask for a couple of others but like I said you don't wish to piss him off and you are likely to save very little if anything.

[illmdxthat]

Very nice of you to leave your number, I've been hit parked before and they didn't.

[MP3_SKY]

Respond with something like this:

Dear So and so,

Allow me to once again apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you by denting your vehicle. We have received your estimate for $1400, and while we intend to do the right thing and compensate you for the damage, we are currently in a difficult financial situation. We would therefore appreciate it if you would consider calling more body shops to see if you can find a less expensive one. As you might be aware, dealerships tend to charge more for comparable work than many other reputable body shops. If you insist on the $1400 quote we will oblige but we could really use your help in this matter.

Thank you,

Your name

Haha, so you telling the guy to go through more hassles and doing more phone calls, going to more body shop for OP's son's fault and so they can save OP's money? I doubt anyone would do that, except that won't be me.

[XtremeModder]

Yeah the other guy is an idiot...suuuuuuuuuuuuure.

PS - Yes he is joking about the premiums.

Seeing as how his damage estimate was $1000 (give or take a few $) an I offered him 1500 cash... Yes He was an idiot since he could have made $500 for my stupidity 6 years ago...

If I had $1000 in damage done to my car and someone said theyd give me $1500 cash I think it would be pretty obvious the route to take.

A girl hit my gfs mazda3 last month, totaling $6500. Girl offered to pay it in cash at first then changed her mind so we had to do the insurance route.

[XtremeModder]

Your son cant drive, you cant spot him, and not you dont want to pay for the guys new car to get dealer service...sounds good to me.

I would have just called my insurance, too much hassle with guys like you...

I'm sure you're a perfect driver and everyone should do what you do on the road :facepalm:

Accidents are called accidents for a reason.

Look in downtown toronto and just watch people parallel park, you'll see people back up just till they ding someone's car, then move up a few inches (this is why I try not to park in toronto.)

[nielboy]

To the OP....if you push your luck with the other driver by making it more inconvenient for him, he'll likely just call his insurance company and deal with them.

If he does that. he'll get a rental vehicle while his Rogue is being fixed and all of that will be covered by your insurance company.

Finally...your rates will go up substantially for the next few years.

[a_ok]

The estimate seems too be about right - if its a fairly new car - it will cost money. Just remember - its only an estimate - after they take the bumper off, they might find more damaged parts (brackets, mounts etc..) and the final bill will be double that estimated amount. Than they will ask you to pay for it or they will call the insurance....

Good point! That's why you should just pay them what they want, but make sure they sign a document stating that they have been compensated for the damage and that by accepting the cash they can not go back to you later for other ***** just to cover yourself.

[koffey]

Good point! That's why you should just pay them what they want, but make sure they sign a document stating that they have been compensated for the damage and that by accepting the cash they can not go back to you later for other ***** just to cover yourself.

I would agree with this. Pay in certified cheque, ensure to have marked on the cheque the repair quote number from dealership, get in writing that with this payment you are basically off the hook for any additional expenses. Give the person what they want because it could be worse, but CYA in the process.

[mucat]

Like a_ok said, write up something to protect your end and have both parties sign on it.
$1400 is very reasonable, so you should just go ahead with it.

OP, you did the right thing, not too many people will do this nowadays.

[Crinkle_cut]

Respond with something like this:

Dear So and so,

Allow me to once again apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you by denting your vehicle. We have received your estimate for $1400, and while we intend to do the right thing and compensate you for the damage, we are currently in a difficult financial situation. We would therefore appreciate it if you would consider calling more body shops to see if you can find a less expensive one. As you might be aware, dealerships tend to charge more for comparable work than many other reputable body shops. If you insist on the $1400 quote we will oblige but we could really use your help in this matter.

Thank you,

Your name

I think this is the best route out of all the ones proposed.

On a side note, with regards to parallel parking with a teenage driver. Why would you let him parallel park behind and in front of a nice/new car? When I was a teenager practicing parallel parking, my parents made sure the two cars were old jalopy's, so that if I did hit it, the damage wouldn't be severe in case we had to pay to repair it.

But yes, Dilton's proposal is the best.

[Ojam]

I think this is the best route out of all the ones proposed..

No it's not. Why should the owners of the new car waste more of their time going to other unknown body shops to get a quote? Maybe they do all their work at the dealer. If after spending MY precious little free time getting a quote because somebody hit me, and then was asked if I could find a cheaper quote... I'd tell them to **** right off and go through insurance. I'd be seriously pissed either way, but being asked to spend more time would be the last straw.

[sam123]

^WHS. I believe the car will carry the accident/repair in its history and will result in a hit to the resale value. Kudos to you for accepting responsibility. Pay and move on.

[Crinkle_cut]

No it's not. Why should the owners of the new car waste more of their time going to other unknown body shops to get a quote? Maybe they do all their work at the dealer. If after spending MY precious little free time getting a quote because somebody hit me, and then was asked if I could find a cheaper quote... I'd tell them to **** right off and go through insurance. I'd be seriously pissed either way, but being asked to spend more time would be the last straw.

This is because you play the sympathy card.

If they have no sympathy, they respond, "No we don't have time to shop around, so let us know if you'll pay the $1400 or we go through insurance? Thanks again"

If they have the sympathy, they respond, "Sure I'll check just one more shop and let you know the quote"


Either way, this provides 2 potential conclusions, rather than 1.

[TrevorK]

No it's not. Why should the owners of the new car waste more of their time going to other unknown body shops to get a quote? Maybe they do all their work at the dealer. If after spending MY precious little free time getting a quote because somebody hit me, and then was asked if I could find a cheaper quote... I'd tell them to **** right off and go through insurance. I'd be seriously pissed either way, but being asked to spend more time would be the last straw.

I agree completely. It's not fair to ask someone to inconvenience themselves further because you want a cheaper quote. You have no right to dictate where they get their work done or how many quotes they need.

Situations like this are the reason people go through insurance for small claims, they do not want to deal with people who just want everything done as cheap as possible. What's next, he's out his car for a day or two and you tell him you'll happily buy him bus tickets instead of a car rental?

[koffey]

This is because you play the sympathy card.

If they have no sympathy, they respond, "No we don't have time to shop around, so let us know if you'll pay the $1400 or we go through insurance? Thanks again"

If they have the sympathy, they respond, "Sure I'll check just one more shop and let you know the quote"


Either way, this provides 2 potential conclusions, rather than 1.

You would allow any body shop to repair your newer car that was damaged by someone else? Probably no. Certainly I wouldn't. Right to the dealership it would go.

If someone offered this to me, I wouldn't care what your financial situation is. Driving is a luxury not everyone can afford. You took your teenager out to learn how to drive. You used my car instead of couple of pylons to teach parallell park. Poor call in judgement on your part. Pay up and stop crying to the victim.

That would be my response.

[Crinkle_cut]

You would allow any body shop to repair your newer car that was damaged by someone else? Probably no. Certainly I wouldn't. Right to the dealership it would go.

If someone offered this to me, I wouldn't care what your financial situation is. Driving is a luxury not everyone can afford. You took your teenager out to learn how to drive. You used my car instead of couple of pylons to teach parallell park. Poor call in judgement on your part. Pay up and stop crying to the victim.

That would be my response.

I dont disagree with you guys, as well as the fact that majority of people would feel this way (say 80%). But hey, it's quite possible the other party is in the 20% that would be sympathetic. They have the ability to respond like you guys did, and if they did, I would be ok with that. But they also have the ability to say fine, I'll ask a private shop that I know rather than the dealership.

I remember when I was a teenager and bumped the car in front of me slightly while I was coming to a stop. The guy (50 yr old gentleman) got out of his car, inspected his car, saw I was a teenager and replied "Be more careful next time" and drove off. So when another teenager bumped me, and I didn't see much damage, I also let them off the hook with no repairs or calls for insurance.

[blainehamilton]

Respond with something like this:

Dear So and so,

Allow me to once again apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you by denting your vehicle. We have received your estimate for $1400, and while we intend to do the right thing and compensate you for the damage, we are currently in a difficult financial situation. We would therefore appreciate it if you would consider calling more body shops to see if you can find a less expensive one. As you might be aware, dealerships tend to charge more for comparable work than many other reputable body shops. If you insist on the $1400 quote we will oblige but we could really use your help in this matter.

Thank you,

Your name


I would be calling insurance the second this reply hit my inbox/mailbox.

If somebody damaged my vehicle thru their fault, I'd be taking it to the dealer directly. No aftermarket parts and cut rate repairs.

Pay the $1400 and perhaps stick to practice the parallel parking with traffic cones and rubber garbage cans for now, ok?

[aarnone228]

I was in a similar situation myself over the summer

I was behind a car in the yeild lane at eglinton and dixie road waiting to turn right on to eglinton ave and mis judged the person in front of me and ended up rear ending them. this was only at about 5km/h but it still caused damage.

We did however both pull over and exchange insurance information and then went to the police reporting centre to report the accident. The officer at the reporting centre did state that no charges would be laid against me because there was no witnesses.

I did agree that it was my fault and that i would pay for the damages after an estimate was done to his vehicle as a result, thankfully there was no damage to my vehicle

He then went the following week and got an estimate from one body shop of $2000 or so and he did agree that it was a bit high and went and got another one which was significantly lower.

I ended up settling with him and paid him $750 for the damages, but before i handed over the money to him i made him sign a letter that indicated that after he recieved the $750 that everything was settled and he did sign the letter and take the money and i have not heard from him since.

What many people do not realize is that even though u do agree to settle with someone without going through insurance is that the person could turn around and just keep your money if they like and still go through insurance and you will then have a bigger problem on your hands

so i would be very careful

[a_ok]

I was in a similar situation myself over the summer

I was behind a car in the yeild lane at eglinton and dixie road waiting to turn right on to eglinton ave and mis judged the person in front of me and ended up rear ending them. this was only at about 5km/h but it still caused damage.

We did however both pull over and exchange insurance information and then went to the police reporting centre to report the accident. The officer at the reporting centre did state that no charges would be laid against me because there was no witnesses.

I did agree that it was my fault and that i would pay for the damages after an estimate was done to his vehicle as a result, thankfully there was no damage to my vehicle

He then went the following week and got an estimate from one body shop of $2000 or so and he did agree that it was a bit high and went and got another one which was significantly lower.

I ended up settling with him and paid him $750 for the damages, but before i handed over the money to him i made him sign a letter that indicated that after he recieved the $750 that everything was settled and he did sign the letter and take the money and i have not heard from him since.

What many people do not realize is that even though u do agree to settle with someone without going through insurance is that the person could turn around and just keep your money if they like and still go through insurance and you will then have a bigger problem on your hands

so i would be very careful

Not really. You have a legal document that state they agree to waiver any further claims to you (if you word it carefully). Also, insurance company does not care what you do as long as you don't involve them.

[outsiderzedge]

sorry for the noob question but what happens if you offer cash to settle an accident privately and the other guy takes your money and ends up suing you anyway? theres no proof you gave him anything....?

[ccyk]

sorry for the noob question but what happens if you offer cash to settle an accident privately and the other guy takes your money and ends up suing you anyway? theres no proof you gave him anything....?

you make him sign a receipt when you give him the cash. can be simple, just write so and so received $1400 cash/cheque on someday for final and full settlement of some incident on someday.

[canehdianman]

you make him sign a receipt when you give him the cash. can be simple, just write so and so received $1400 cash/cheque on someday for final and full settlement of some incident on someday.

Not just a receipt, but a full and irrevocable release from all liabilities, actions, causes of action, suits, debts, sums of money, claims, demands, damages, costs or expenses known or unknown which the Releasors ever had, now have or can, shall, or may hereafter have for any cause, matter or thing whatsoever arising out of or in respect to [the accident].

* The above is not legal advice *

[sweetadad]

I had a young woman who scraped against my 4 month old MDX....she confessed that she wasnt looking when backing up and i got that in writting from her. I gave her the estimate to have it fixed at the dealership body shop, she flipped at the 2K bill. Had the MDX been 4-5 years old, i could have taken it else where...but for a new car, I wouldnt go anywhere else other than the dealer. And from the OP post, he did say he brushed up against a new Rogue.

[TrevorK]

I dont disagree with you guys, as well as the fact that majority of people would feel this way (say 80%). But hey, it's quite possible the other party is in the 20% that would be sympathetic. They have the ability to respond like you guys did, and if they did, I would be ok with that. But they also have the ability to say fine, I'll ask a private shop that I know rather than the dealership.

xx% would say "Sure, I'll see if I can find somewhere lower"
xx% would say "No thanks, I'd like to go to the dealer"
xx% would say "I'm going through insurance, this is obviously going to be a hassle"

If your goal is to prevent the claim from going through insurance, what risk are you will to take over a couple hundred dollars (As realistically, how much less would you expect another shop to do it for that's reputable?)?

Myself, if I was in the OP's situation (not wanting to go through insurance) and I had someone who was completely cooperative (and who knows, might not even ask for a rental car) I wouldn't take the chance of angering them and sending it through insurance.

[Shaner]

This is because you play the sympathy card.

If they have no sympathy, they respond, "No we don't have time to shop around, so let us know if you'll pay the $1400 or we go through insurance? Thanks again"

If they have the sympathy, they respond, "Sure I'll check just one more shop and let you know the quote"


Either way, this provides 2 potential conclusions, rather than 1.

You forgot the 3rd conclusion, which is the one I would choose

3. "You guys are turning out to be too much of a hassle to deal with. Deal if off, I'm going through insurance. Dont' contact me any more."

The second someone asked me to go get other quotes, I wouldn't bother with them anymore, I would go through insurance immediately. If someone hits my parked car, I do not negotiate. I get it fixed at a place of my choosing at my convenience. Don't like it, I go through insurance and you are found 100% at fault.

[162]

You forgot the 3rd conclusion, which is the one I would choose

3. "You guys are turning out to be too much of a hassle to deal with. Deal if off, I'm going through insurance. Dont' contact me any more."

The second someone asked me to go get other quotes, I wouldn't bother with them anymore, I would go through insurance immediately. If someone hits my parked car, I do not negotiate. I get it fixed at a place of my choosing at my convenience. Don't like it, I go through insurance and you are found 100% at fault.

This is exactly how i would see this playing out.

[gizmo8]

Make sure when you pay out you write a agreement stating so...my cousin was in a minor accident paid for the guy money to repair his 15 year old car and he still went through insurance...he stated he never got money from my cousin.....

[lightbulb]

Thanks for all the comments, everyone. They're pretty much what I expected. I agree it's difficult to ask the Rogue owners to shop around to save me a few bucks. To clarify a few things: my son is licensed and was not practice parking; for the Rogue owners to make a claim, it would go on their own policy as they don't really know who I am (if I were a jerk, it would have been case of hit & run).

A few years ago, the neighbors across the street knocked on my door to inform me they had just backed into my car from their driveway. There was quite a dent in the fron fender, which ended up costing about $1,700 to repair. We got one quote and they handed us an evelope the next day.

[navyseals]

Thanks for all the comments, everyone. They're pretty much what I expected. I agree it's difficult to ask the Rogue owners to shop around to save me a few bucks. To clarify a few things: my son is licensed and was not practice parking; for the Rogue owners to make a claim, it would go on their own policy as they don't really know who I am (if I were a jerk, it would have been case of hit & run).

A few years ago, the neighbors across the street knocked on my door to inform me they had just backed into my car from their driveway. There was quite a dent in the fron fender, which ended up costing about $1,700 to repair. We got one quote and they handed us an evelope the next day.

Good luck with everything! Thanks for being honest. If I had someone like you who acted properly and told me that you hit me and agreed to pay, I'd probably go to two or three other places to check prices.

[sweetadad]

Good luck with everything! Thanks for being honest. If I had someone like you who acted properly and told me that you hit me and agreed to pay, I'd probably go to two or three other places to check prices.

+1. Few people like you out there OP.

[kingrukus]

Good luck to you OP. You are the minority.

[vaportech]

Stop perpetuating this myth of how signing a reciept or whatever legal document you "lawyers" draft would absolve anyone of liability from an accident. Yes you can make a reciept that says money was exchanged. However if the person in the accident sustained injuries not yet diagnosed, that legal document is meaningless. The courts will overturn that document because it Would violate the person's legal rights guaranteed to them under the charter.

[laptopuser]

You forgot the 3rd conclusion, which is the one I would choose

3. "You guys are turning out to be too much of a hassle to deal with. Deal if off, I'm going through insurance. Dont' contact me any more."

The second someone asked me to go get other quotes, I wouldn't bother with them anymore, I would go through insurance immediately. If someone hits my parked car, I do not negotiate. I get it fixed at a place of my choosing at my convenience. Don't like it, I go through insurance and you are found 100% at fault.

cool, next time i scrape your car ill just leave the scene. enjoy footing the bill yourself

[nagasadow]

cool, next time i scrape your car ill just leave the scene. enjoy footing the bill yourself

exatcly. By parking on the street you are openining yourself up for **** like this.

My question is can the guy go through insurance even though he did not witness the OP's son hitting his Rogue?

[TrevorK]

cool, next time i scrape your car ill just leave the scene. enjoy footing the bill yourself

Then you're a douche bag.

Besides, many people have insurance to cover against hit and run damage that waives their deductible. In addition, if you were caught you may face even stiffer consequences (insurance wise) if you are convicted of hit and run.

[tdeem1]

you guys always go so far overboard.

If your son smacked my car, and you informed me about it and after I gave you an estimate you sent me a note, I would likely be less willing to help then if you called and stated your issue.

*Most* people won't be hardassed. *Most* people will feel some compassion -- especially considering the circumstances (you leaving a note and not just leaving the scene)

At minimum, rewrite your note so it doesn't sound quasi-professional, and sounds more personal.

[lightbulb]

I met the owner to settle up this afternoon. There will be some disbelief amongst you when I tell you after speaking with him yesterday he was more than understanding. As much as some people commended me for being honest, the owner was perhaps even more; he thought the estimate was high because it was through his dealer and could be repaired for less. To that end, he said he would be happy to settle for half.

So, I'm out $700 but I feel pretty good about the whole experience. I met someone who was even keeled and appreciated that living in a big city might entail a few bumps. I assume he's not going to bother getting the scrapes repaired and will just pocket the cash, after all, it's called a bumper for a reason.

[antigua1999]

Glad it worked out for you in the end. Honesty is the best policy and you taught your son a lesson.

[vaportech]

I think teaching your son integrity is worth more than 700 dollars.

[Crinkle_cut]

I met the owner to settle up this afternoon. There will be some disbelief amongst you when I tell you after speaking with him yesterday he was more than understanding. As much as some people commended me for being honest, the owner was perhaps even more; he thought the estimate was high because it was through his dealer and could be repaired for less. To that end, he said he would be happy to settle for half.

So, I'm out $700 but I feel pretty good about the whole experience. I met someone who was even keeled and appreciated that living in a big city might entail a few bumps. I assume he's not going to bother getting the scrapes repaired and will just pocket the cash, after all, it's called a bumper for a reason.

Glad to see it worked out for you. Like I advocated, there was no harm in asking. If he pushed for the full $1400, you'd gladly oblige. And like I predicted, the 20% chance that he'd be understanding/sympathetic worked out.

[canehdianman]

Stop perpetuating this myth of how signing a reciept or whatever legal document you "lawyers" draft would absolve anyone of liability from an accident. Yes you can make a reciept that says money was exchanged. However if the person in the accident sustained injuries not yet diagnosed, that legal document is meaningless. The courts will overturn that document because it Would violate the person's legal rights guaranteed to them under the charter.

I saw that this was resolved, but I wanted to point out that virtually everything Vaportech posted is incorrect. Always get a full release signed when you pay off an accident, it is a valid legal documents.

Also I must have missed the class in law school about the Charter having something to do with an accident between two private parties. (it doesn't)

[flafson]

It once happened to me in Israel, someone hit my car (pretty bad actually) and left me a note.
He ended up taking my car to a repair shop he knows and he paid the shop himself.

If you do it like that then you don't have a problem of the other party running with the money.
And signing a document is a must, you never know.

[UrbanPoet]

Just pay them...
Dont weasle him out of money.

Of course he can get a cheaper quote else where. But you get what you pay for. They could do a 1 hour $200 job... mask and over spray and call it quits. But it'll look like a disaster in a few weeks after.

[baymoe]

What a commendable father. I'm glad to hear about your honesty in handling this situation. *thumbs up*