You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
We've got a 07 1.3 suzuki swift 90k which was parked half on the pavement across our drive. The car has a worn gearbox input shaft bearing but had a recent clean sheet on its last mot. We paid 1100 a few years ago before the gearbox issue.
Our neighbour across the road has backed into the rear quarter causing a crease and seperating from the rear inner arch.
Do we go through insurance and write the car off and risk paying increased premiums on both our cars (as we are named drivers on each others policys) for the next 5 years or do we just let it go?
We have another banger on the drive and my plan was to get rid of both cars.
So you and the neighbour are named drivers on each others policies? I'd suggest they bung you a couple of hundred quid and call it quits. Sounds like the car is only suitable for spares or repairs anyway.
You're unfitgeezers neighbour aren't you?
It's my partners car but we'd both have to declare it on our policy.
The car is noisy pulling away in 1st but otherwise drives fine. I was waiting/hoping it would go terminal but it just keeps going. Others have claimed 20k+ with a noisy box. Bearings are 65 quid but im not familiar with the box to decide if it's beyond me to fit them/worth my time.
The other banger has 2x diesel injector seals on one injector. Its been a long unreliable road getting there. It seems to drive fine now and has for a while but ive lost confidence in it to the point i daren't sell it on. I guess thats by the by though.
Others have claimed 20k+ with a noisy box.
S****s
Its done 6k and hasn't got any worse.
I guess the question is has anyone had their premiums increased after a non fault claim, if so how bad? I know insurance generally is on the rise but i dont want 2x 5 years of loaded premiums for a claim im not that bothered about.
That’s not what was s****ed at...
Just offer the neighbour a ‘deal’ of him giving you cash in lieu of repairs on the understanding that it’ll go towards the next car, and run the banger until you can’t stand the sight of it any more. Don’t either of you tell the insurance companies or you’ll both be paying for it for ever.
Someone will be along shortly say that that’s insurance fraud, but really, it’s up to you what you claim for. Think of it as a really big stone chip.
What does your neighbour want to do? Are they putting you at fault for parking on pavement?
They've left it to us. She admitted liability and her car only has a scuffed bumper to add to its existing scuffs.
Are they putting you at fault for parking on pavement?
Can’t be a thing, really. Parked, as in stationary, is the operative word.
Can be enough of a thing they they might want to let insurance company decide. As it happens, they don’t care. If I was intending on selling car or it would cause mot failure I’d be asking for money. If I was going to scrap anyway and wasn’t out of pocket, i’d not bother with it.
Is the neighbour/their wife hot?
I guess the question is has anyone had their premiums increased after a non fault claim, if so how bad?
The question you would be better asking is has anyone not....
Subscriber
Are they putting you at fault for parking on pavement?
Can’t be a thing, really. Parked, as in stationary, is the operative word.
I once crashed my motorbike and it bounced into a parked car. I was not liable as the car was illegally parked. expensive lesson for them.
Our policy was the same after a settled non fault claim.
I once crashed my motorbike and it bounced into a parked car. I was not liable as the car was illegally parked. expensive lesson for them.
Bet you felt great about that 😳
Relived really. If the car had not been illegally parked the bike would just have slid along on its side, as it was the bike was also damaged by hitting the car. I didn't go after them for that tho.
What v8ninety said.
Either a contribution towards the loss of value of the car (or a matching panel from a breakers?) if you have never actually spoken to them.
Or your best Gallic shrug and nothing if they're actually friendly.
That assumes you're happy driving a car with a dent in it.
I'd get a quote to bodge it up n go from there.
If it's safe do you care?
I once crashed my motorbike and it bounced into a parked car. I was not liable as the car was illegally parked.
You got lucky, Teej. Whilst a car shouldn’t be parked illegally, the onus on the moving motorist is always not to crash into stationary objects. What if it had been a child’s face or a baby robin? (Or a legally parked emergency device vehicle or a broken down vehicle?)
If you need to spend money to keep it safe, legal and drive-able then pass that cost on to them by cash.
If the car is fine but just dented I wouldn't bother doing anything. I wouldn't be asking for money unless they could see me spending it on the car.
I think we're just going to leave it, it 's a shame and annoying but they are a young family who don't particularly have a lot of cash. They're not my favourite neighbours but it's just not worth the time and effort. I hope she learns from it but I doubt it.
In that situation I’d be asking for a contribution of a nominal sum of say, £100, to contribute to replacement costs down the line. Chances are you could have sold it with 12 months ticket, and you still possibly could, but it would definitely fetch less. Also, she shouldn’t get away Scott free from Greg results of her inept driving, a small financial loss may concentrate her mind. And £100 rather than claiming on her insurance is still doing that young skint family a massive favour tbh.
I think we’re just going to leave it, it ‘s a shame and annoying but they are a young family who don’t particularly have a lot of cash. They’re not my favourite neighbours but it’s just not worth the time and effort. I hope she learns from it but I doubt it.
FWIW I think you're doing the right thing in every way. From your own POV you can be certain of avoiding the no fault claim, which might not load your premium on day one but is one more thing to declare for the next five years and if you forget it looks dodgy. (...and multiple no fault claim *are* an issue so you might end up in trouble if someone else shunts you in future) Plus you'll be keeping on friendly terms with your neighbour.
...and you get to stand on the very highest of moral high ground.
I wouldn’t be asking for money unless they could see me spending it on the car.
Deffo this. Personally I'd be livid if someone took cash for a shunt and didn't have the work done. (I'd be irrational to be livid about it, but even so, I would.)
I think we’re just going to leave it, it ‘s a shame and annoying but they are a young family who don’t particularly have a lot of cash. They’re not my favourite neighbours but it’s just not worth the time and effort. I hope she learns from it but I doubt it.
I do this.
To be frank, one of the joys of Bangernomics is not having to stress about it, so why stress about a car you seem happy to drive till it dies. As long as it's still safe to use it's not really depreciated as it's true value was always only going to be what the scrappy gave you for it anyway.
Who really knows whether a non-fault claim will ultimately cost you more than whatever pay-out you get? Our insurance broker says it's not worth claiming for anything less than £3k (admittedly we're talking about a small fleet business policy here, not a personal one). But there's always a chance you'll end up in one of those horrible feuds with your neighbour that goes on so long you can't remember why it started and Channel 5 make a programme about you.
It’s a banger so I’d let it go. The British seem to put a lot of kudos in their cars for some odd reason when you can pretty much lease anything you like.
If it’s a banger and safe to drive I’d just leave it to be honest mate.
My premium went up as a result of someone reversing their car into mine in the supermarket car park whilst I was shopping.
It revolves around the 'have you had any accidents claims or convictions regardless of fault or otherwise in the past five years' question that insurers love to ask. The claim was not my fault, not settled by my insurers but because I had claimed on the other persons policy I had to answer yes and provide details.
The increase in my premium was apparently down to an increase of risk to my insurers due to where I parked my car.
The question is how much is the car worth now in its current condition and are you ok with that vs five years of answering yes to the above question and knowing that your insurance could be cheaper.
Personally I would let it go (so long as things are not hanging off and dangerous), besides fixing it would probably make all the other little niggles on the banger stand out like a sore thumb when compared the the pristine body work of the repaired area.
I think we’re just going to leave it, it ‘s a shame and annoying but they are a young family who don’t particularly have a lot of cash.
Good on you for such consideration.
Now go buy a lottery scratch card or two as "God" might repay you with some £££.
Can’t be a thing, really. Parked, as in stationary, is the operative word.
It absolutely is a thing.
On a very related (and ever-so-slightly more piss boiling) note, near me, a fireman
drove fire engine to 999 call
parked fire engine
had engine switched off
was waiting for colleagues to attend call
from the other direction, a speeding audi (believe it or not) came around the blind bend way too fast, lost control, and hit the fire engine
after hitting the fire engine, the audi then wiped out a pedestrian
the audi driver attempted to claim fault of the fireman for parking the fire engine in the wrong place and thus causing him to lose control, crash into the fire engine, and kill a pedestrian
the fireman was suspended for 18 months while this went on
audi driver eventually got off the death by dangerous driving charge (no idea how, there is no justice) although insurance claim against fire service unsuccessful
fireman finally restored to full employ
unreal.
My neighbour came to the door in tears one time after she bumped my car (she's a terrible driver). The car cost me a couple of hundred quid, and she was so upset I didn't even bother looking it. Just told her not to worry and to forget about it.
Bit different if your car is worth anything of note. You'll lose a couple of hundred on the resale value straight away with damage like that. Tough call.
The increase in my premium was apparently down to an increase of risk to my insurers due to where I parked my car.
Best park it on the pavement in future, like everybody else.
It was a BMW... I thought I was allowed to abandon it any where and people would naturally assume I had parked anyway.
This:
Is the neighbour/their wife hot?
An important factor to consider.