My Daughter accidentally backed into another guys car, a '91 Toyota Corolla. The damage to my daughters car was minimal, just her right rear taillight. The Corolla has a 1/4 inch deep crease running along the drivers door, and extending to the rear divers side door halfway. OK, This is Minnesota where everything rusts out after 5 years, and this Corolla is no exception..... The doors were already fucked up with rust holes, and this guy now wants me to have it professionally fixed, with new doors, and also wants results within 2 weeks. I asked him if the doors were still functional other than the cosmetic and they worked just fine. When he opened the back door to check it out, a large chunk of Bondo dropped off the door and onto the ground. [img]/images/graemlins/laughing.gif[/img]
This car is going to be impossible to color match for one thing, and the sporadic oxidation of the paint along with the rust, and bondo work of the past, isn't going to make it any easier. This car is actually this guys only transporation, and even though I look at it as a piece of crap, this car means alot to this guy. Well, now what ?? I've located a pair of doors for it, and they'll cost me about $250 for the pair, and then I'll have to have'em painted on the car to get the match as close as possible. Now what the heck is this guy going to do for transportation for the week it's out of service ?? Is this my problem, or should it be ?? Part of me is thinking that I wanna just offer him a lump of cash to just forget all about it........ Would this be right ?? If so, how much would be fair ?? I had to talk him out of calling the cops when the accident happened, and also that I'd agree to "take care of it" just to keep my insurance agent out of it too. He took all the information off my drivers license just "to keep me honest". I had no intentions of running out on this guy, but I don't wanna go overboard with costly repairs either.
Offer to back into the passenger's door so the POS will match on both sides. What a scam. There has to be some concept of diminished value involved here. An $8 car once scratched is now worth ... what? It can't be worth $600. Entropy don't work that way.
Dan...How is it that none of the women in your family can drive??? It's a good thing you have body shop skills... [img]/images/graemlins/laughing.gif[/img]
You shoulda told him you were a member of the notorious "ViperAlley". Then he would have been so scared shitless I bet piss woulda run down his leg. Now you're screwed. Call him back ,tell him you promise not to beat the ever living shit out of him, and call it even.
My Daughter accidentally backed into another guys car, a '91 Toyota Corolla. The damage to my daughters car was minimal, just her right rear taillight. The Corolla has a 1/4 inch deep crease running along the drivers door, and extending to the rear divers side door halfway. OK, This is Minnesota where everything rusts out after 5 years, and this Corolla is no exception..... The doors were already fucked up with rust holes, and this guy now wants me to have it professionally fixed, with new doors, and also wants results within 2 weeks. I asked him if the doors were still functional other than the cosmetic and they worked just fine. When he opened the back door to check it out, a large chunk of Bondo dropped off the door and onto the ground. [img]/images/graemlins/laughing.gif[/img]
This car is going to be impossible to color match for one thing, and the sporadic oxidation of the paint along with the rust, and bondo work of the past, isn't going to make it any easier. This car is actually this guys only transporation, and even though I look at it as a piece of crap, this car means alot to this guy. Well, now what ?? I've located a pair of doors for it, and they'll cost me about $250 for the pair, and then I'll have to have'em painted on the car to get the match as close as possible. Now what the heck is this guy going to do for transportation for the week it's out of service ?? Is this my problem, or should it be ?? Part of me is thinking that I wanna just offer him a lump of cash to just forget all about it........ Would this be right ?? If so, how much would be fair ?? I had to talk him out of calling the cops when the accident happened, and also that I'd agree to "take care of it" just to keep my insurance agent out of it too. He took all the information off my drivers license just "to keep me honest". I had no intentions of running out on this guy, but I don't wanna go overboard with costly repairs either.
What would you do ??
His mode of transportation is none of your concern; if it was being fixed thru insurance he wouldn't get a rental or any bullshit like that. Give him the $$ to fix what you agreed to and nothing more; he's trying to milk it. Get it taken care of quickly and forget about it.
Dan...How is it that none of the women in your family can drive??? It's a good thing you have body shop skills... [img]/images/graemlins/laughing.gif[/img]
I know..........
My very soon to be EX backed into my trucks' rear bumper and wasted the entire drivers rear quarter panel on her car. She comes into the house bitchin' at me saying that if I didn't have such a big vehicle... blah blah blah...
So I guess everyone's gotta play bumper cars with Semi's just 'cause they're big. WTF kinda mentality is that ??
I think what really pissed her off is the fact that she creamed her car, and it didn't even take the paint off the bumper of my Dually [img]/images/graemlins/carrot[/img]
Yeah, this lady at work backed into my F-150 that I had a year ago and all it did was peel up a 1/2" spot on the plastic part of my rear bumper, you could hardly notice it. But her car was totally fucked up.
I would do a little reserch on the value of his car.Like Eric said...$8.oo ?
Take some digital pictures of the POS to back your position,then make the guy a reasonable offer.You have nothing in writing so if he doesn't take your offer and takes you to small claims court(no big)you have the ammo you need.If the fair market value of the car is $500.00 then thats all he will get,not $874.00 to repair it.His "feelings" about the car have NO value in the real world.
If the value is $1000.00 then offer him $500.00.
If he says no then give him the $1000.oo,get the tittle and then set it on fire in front of him.
If the cops were never called you are in complete control. No police report no evidence, he could have gotten the info off your drivers license when you cashed a check at whatever lowly job he works at. OR your daughter could have been backing up when HE pulled a bad manuever behind her. Someone in my family was involved in one of these last year. At this point it is your word against his. Make him an offer, if he refuses, either walk or turn it in to your insurance company, that's what I finally did...they took responsibility and totaled the piece of shit...shut the guy right up, your insurance agency might be your best friend here, I tried to keep it under wraps too but found out they were my best advocate. I don't think they are going to raise your rates over this it ain't no big deal, not a ticketed accident, no police report, they may just tell him to get lost.
I don't think they are going to raise your rates over this it ain't no big deal, not a ticketed accident, no police report, they may just tell him to get lost.
They always raise the rates. I was rear-ended twice and each time they raised my rates even though clearly you are never at fault when you get rear-ended. Fuckin' insurance companies.
Do the right thing.... Basically, he is entitled to either have his car repaired, including the cost of a rental for the amount of time to repair... or he is entitled to the fair market value of the POS.... prior to the accident.
Yes you could stiff him right now since he does not have a police report... but why do that to someone... he did you right by not calling the police.... now you should do him right.
I'd figure the $250 for the doors.... 1 hr each to hang them (if the used doors have the windows and regulators in them), and probably 4 hours total for painting them both. He is not entitled to having the paint match exactly... just as close as realistically possible. You do owe for the rental... probably not more than two full working days (if a body shop did the work)..... at about $30 per day including taxes.
At the local body shop rates here... that would be about $700. I'd just offer him $750 (including the rental) and know you did the right thing... certainly that car is worth $800.
Keep in mind... if he had called the police.. your insurance would be paying and you would pay a big rate increase on a youthful driver... for probably three years. The insurance company WILL raies the premium on any accident caused by a youthful driver. Especially, if someone else in the household has recently had an at-fault accident.
Good luck... if you need any help feel free to PM me.
Growing up a poor bastard as well as still being a poor bastard puts me in a position of compassion for the poor bastard with the corolla. If his car is such a POS, then he'd be stupid to not take a few hundred bucks and just forget about it, but honeslty, your daughter hit his car so I believe hes entitled to something.
On the other hand, if hes being a dick, then be a dick back, but still the bottom line is your daughter hit his car.
On the other hand, I've been rear ended before in my wifes old soon to be a classic irreplaceable mazda mx3, and even though there was minor damage I let the guy go. I recognized that my car was a POS and no one is going to notice one more dent. I'm not going to ruin someones day over it.
Or you can just roll up to this guys house in your viper and he'll be so overwelmed he forgive the debt for a ride around the block.
