One persons word against another.

[Crackle]

Oh just one thing to say. I realised it was me that had done it not just because of the shape of the crack but because I knew I'd gently pushed against the other car. The only reason it's number plate cracked was because it was an odd shaped car and the bottom half of the number plate was not supported, hence it cracked but I did know I was tight against it, just didn't give it a thought as it was such a gentle push.

 

[longers]

My dad, if he bumped something, would know - he's a good driver. Me.... I would too.

I thought I would too. It's a pick-up with a reversing camera and he was watching me back in using the screen and he didn't even say I was close .

 

[fossyant]

My car has one too - essential if the car has poor rear vision...(like mine) and you chicken out before the camera show's you are too close..........

I'd even state this too them.........

 

[Black Sheep]

This is what worries me, someone saw something that I'm sure didn't happen.

I've bumped a couple of stationary vehicles things at slow and very slow speeds and have always known about it, you always would wouldn't you? no matter how slight?
I am doubting myself now but sure of no contact.

I want to stay on good terms with them so will have to see what happens next.

as has been said, at slow speed it is possible to not notice it.

I sometimes squish my car in between my neighbours two cars, he watched me flex bumpers the other day, no damage done (no tow bar) and was quite amused by it (know him well enough, he knows i'd tell him if i'd damaged the cars) in order to fit my car in.

I've backed into things, bumped forwards into things in vehicles that had tow balls on and didn't know until I'd pulled forwards again / saw the vehicle move.

check the heights of the tow bar compared to the plate, if it doesnt match up i doubt its you - plates and bumpers flex at low speed.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I don't really understand where he's coming from with this one. I would a) not notice and not really care if someone cracked my number plate. If it was bad enough I might replace it before the next MOT, otherwise I'd just live with it. What I wouldn't do is hound one of my neighbours to pay for it unless I was absolutely sure they'd done it. And even then I'm not sure I could be bothered.

 

[wafflycat]

Longers... you or your dad done something to upset the neighbour? Even inadvertently?

 

[Debian]

My father in law...... nope - he's bumped cars at low speed, and his own - poor eye sight....

He even put a big dent in my wife's car (before we were married) and didn't know - not until I spotted a big dent and the blue/white paint matches on both cars.........

What on earth is he doing still driving then?

 

[longers]

Longers... you or your dad done something to upset the neighbour? Even inadvertently?

Not as far as I know, he's never met my dad and I've not done anything I'm aware of.

Which is doing wonders for my paranoia

I don't think they're flush with cash, other than that I'm a bit lost.

 

[Black Sheep]

just a quick thought,

my wife's car has been told that it won't get through another MOT with the current numberplate (its delaminating and slowly going black - it won't pass the MOT anyway for various reasons)

I'm wondering if it happened a couple of days ago, car has been for and failed its mot due to the plate (has to be readable to a certain extent) hence wanting it sorted.

 

[longers]

Blacksheep, I did think of it needing it doing for an MOT and while not Donald Trump myself, I'd have bought a £10 plate for a good neighbour rather than going down the route it feels like they're on.

 

[Debian]

Blacksheep, I did think of it needing it doing for an MOT and while not Donald Trump myself, I'd have bought a £10 plate for a good neighbour rather than going down the route it feels like they're on.

This is what I don't fully understand about all this. How much is a new numberplate? I can get one made for £7.50 at my local MF so why all this fuss from your neighbour over £7.50? I wouldn't bother claiming at all if I was in the position of someone having broken my plate unless there was some underlying dispute going on. I'm not saying there is or there isn't anything underlying this but it seems a very odd escalation over a few quid.

 

[Cubist]

Not a helpful story but-

I have a mate whose car was pranged by a neighbour when he was parking his. It was quite a big dent, and a dogdy neighbour who was suspected of dealing etc. The neighbour asked my mate not to go through the insurance, and said that they'd sort it out between themselves. That wasn't a problem until the neighbour wasn't forthcoming, so my friend brought up the idea of pursuing an insurance claim.

A couple of nights later he was awoken by the sound of his car in flames.

Err, yeah, that helps.

Longers, I think a number plate could be cheaper than a fire extinguisher

Have you thought about asking them round for coffee, discussing it and saying that you are pretty sure you didn't do it, and see where they want to go from there? It's all conjecture at the moment, and not knowing their agenda is making you (and some forum members) a bit jumpy over the whole thing. Communication is and always will be the key. Be prepared to meet them halfway. The cost of a number plate is NOT worth weeks/months/years of neighbour fallout. Some on here will say you must stick to your guns to save face or because of the principle of the whole thing. You'll have to make your own mind up on that, but unless you open up some sort of dialogue with them it will all remain mysterious.

 

[JtB]

If you know you didn't do it, don't pay and forget about it.

If you know you did it, admit it, pay for a new number plate and forget about it.

If you think you might have done it, don't admit it, but (as a good will gesture) pay for a new number plate and forget about it.

Its down to you really - the police wont be interested and it's obviously not an insurance job (so they wont be interested either).

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

If it's really bugging you, Longers, then say you didn't do it but offer to pay half to maintain good neighbourly status... if they say they don't want to pay half as they clearly haven't done anything, then simply point out that neither have you, and you're doing it out of the goodness of your heart unless they can prove it was you that broke it.

I think that makes some sense.... possibly.

 

[longers]

Just had a chat, there's no animosity but he didn't accept my offer to meet halfway to resolve it so we're now waiting for the police to come round sometime.