Bear with me as I will be venting slightly

Last Saturday my lovely girlfriend and I went on our usually weekly grocery run to the local Loblaws as we do all the time. Saturday was a cold, dry, clear but extremely windy day.

I had just started to feel the effects of my wisdom teeth extractions that had happened 2 days earlier so I wasnt in the best of moods. We did our shopping quickly and made our way back to the Winter Warrior, my newly beloved 94 SSEi. Angela remarked as I finished stocking the trunk with provisions...

"Jim....your mirror is hanging"

I walked over, and low and behold..yep, my heated/powered passenger mirror was dangling lifelessly from its wiring. Not only that, I nice scrape on the body cladding, and a fresh dent right at the pinstriping line. I lost in temporarily. The shopping cart went flying into the outdoor collecting hut, and my trunk was closed more firmly then others. Upon investigation, the neighbour car...go figure a Toyo Corolla ( the car I dispise the most) has a nice black mark where the door evidently hit and totally knocked off the mirror.

This woman comes running over....ohhh I'm sorry, the car door was caught in the wind and hit your car. I told her calmly, thanks for coming out and leaving your number. Lemme get this looked at, and I'll get you an estimate.

Off to a friend of my moms, he has a repair shop, and has done work for us before. I told him it was an accident and I was pleased she came back to fess up. He gave me a quote of $602.80. A fair price.

I emailed the woman the estimate.....

And so it begins. Any nice disposition this girl demonstrated at the beginning ended.

Her reply consisted of this...Cliff noted

Cant afford it
Get another quote
50-50 fee split (ie she pays half)
no fault insurance parking lot bullshit
wants credit for being ethical (sarcastic clap )

Obviously dealing with a fool here that doesnt understand the responisibilities of vehicle ownership. I said fine, I went to GM for another estimate....$1184.xx cents. Typical expensive OEM work, no problem, she wanted to be a hardass. I emailed that estimate.

No reply

She calls me back 2 days later (yesterday) to inform me that shes done some "research" on my car and its not worth that kinda money to fix Now I was offended. She said go get another estimate....and she told me where to go to...heh..alright, I'm a nice guy..off I go to Maaco

$848.13 (SHOVE THAT YOU KNOW IT ALL POS B*ITCH)

SO. Then she started to tell me how she spoke to a "friend" that works at an "insurance" agency and stated how shes not at fault since in happened on private property (parking lot) so she doesnt have to pay. And she reminded me how nice she was to stay and not take off after she damaged my car.

SOOO! I called my broker. If someone is gonna talk smack about insurance, they better TALK TO INSURANCE...GOD :?

He calmly informed me, that no-fault parking lot is crap, my car was stationary, off, in park etc. A part of her vehicle was in motion and struck/damaged another vehicle. So in a nutshell. My insurance would pay the body shop to fix the car, and then insurance would go after her insurance etc. Essentially no insurance increase to me.

Finally, today, nearing a week, and me, continuing to be a nice guy and realizing this girl can't afford the pot she pisses in called and left a message.

Hey, its Jim, look I talked to the guys at Fix Auto, we're workin on something to make this easier for you. I need my car fixed now, its dangerous to drive and operate a car without my mirrors. Call me, lets talk about it.

So I wait....again :o

And leading to my point to all.

If you feel you are responsible enough to drive a car, you better understand the consequences when you inflict damage to someone else. Be an adult...recognize your errors, work with the people you have wronged so all end up happy. If you cannot abide by this. Do not own/operate a car. And hope to hell the person you wrong is as patient and co-operative as me.

By the way...I dont need credit for being ethical, honest and co-operative...unlike this girl

Stick it to her. Insurance covers you anywhere. Go with the highest estimate, have your insurance pay you out, then go to your friend.

Pocket the change. Unless Canadian insurance runs differently. That works all the time for me.

sux about the car . but the good thing is you have the name of who did it.

screw it ... let the insurance companys fight over it and bring it where
you want.
its clearly her fault.

she will pay eventually and you will have your car back.

keep any emails faxes paperwork etc. just in case.

I SHOULD do this. But I won't really. I'm a nice guy and understand a youngish girl driving a Corolla and working in retail til 10pm cant really afford it.

The way the insurance works, I'll never see the money, it goes directly to the shop I choose..to pay for the car. Unless she doesnt want to talk turkey

i feel the same way about what happend to my car at school......the school made seem like it was my fault that the damage happend....hell i had to go to the President to get my deductable.....like that is gonna matter when i only have liability and the damage is 1,800, not to mention the ins. rates rising....sheeesh.... so i have to use my own money to fix....what has the world come to

Jim, claim it. She'* not paying out of pocket up front for the whole amount. Her rates may only go up $5 a month, and it'll make her more responsible the next time.

I agree here.. the moment she tried to duck her responsibility, my sympathy went for her. Go get the job done at a competent shop you trust is going to return YOUR car to pre-accident form. That'* what insurance is for in the first place.

You can't play sympathy and lawyer at the same time. The two words don't even belong in the same sentence.

the moment she puled her stuff i would have ben at the police department filing a cold report and had them serve her at work with the report have done it befor will do it agin if it is needed that way it is on record and the bonus is all of her info is then public record

exactly, what if you hit her car???? or what if I hit your car? I wouldnt pay but I can be damnned sure you would go to your insurance company about it

I learned that lesson long ago.
Always report it to police and go thru insurance.
Even the nicest people turn nasty when money is involved. Most people don't realize how little damage can cost big $$.

Our insurance requires three quotes and they always go to the lowest. If you want the higher bid, you pay the difference.