Car hit...note left

[00scuba]

So I go out this morning at 5:50am, and I get in my car. I notice there is a note on my windshield. It says " I'm sorry I hit your car-please call me at.... Jimbo"

Well first off kudo's for leaving a number and a note. How someone could cause so much damage to my parked car in a parking lot I have no idea. The rear bumper is bad, and my alignment is way off.

My question....how do I handle this when I call Jimbo? Do I place a police report? I don't want to have to deal with my insurance, do I have to contact them? If he has insurance I would "assume" he reports that, or he will need to pay for the damage out of his pocket.

The note was written on the back of a Popeye's Chicken receipt from Oct 23. I wonder if he has leftovers in his car still...hmmmm

Any advice appreciated. Thank you!

 

[fisheyeview]

So I go out this morning at 5:50am, and I get in my car. I notice there is a note on my windshield. It says " I'm sorry I hit your car-please call me at.... Jimbo"

Well first off kudo's for leaving a number and a note. How someone could cause so much damage to my parked car in a parking lot I have no idea. The rear bumper is bad, and my alignment is way off.

My question....how do I handle this when I call Jimbo? Do I place a police report? I don't want to have to deal with my insurance, do I have to contact them? If he has insurance I would "assume" he reports that, or he will need to pay for the damage out of his pocket.

The note was written on the back of a Popeye's Chicken receipt from Oct 23. I wonder if he has leftovers in his car still...hmmmm

Any advice appreciated. Thank you!

Sorry to hear about the car Sandy. At least the guy left a note. Call him and start out being nice. Tell him you appreciate him leaving the note. Tell him that you know accidents happen, and then ask him for his insurance information. Call his insurance company and report it to them.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Very good PC way to handle it.
The guy was nice enough to leave a note, assume he left the correct phone number.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

A few years ago my parked car got hit by a tow truck driver who lived in the apartment complex. He was kind enough to leave a note as well and we settled everything without any insurance or police getting involved. HOWEVER, he tried to get me to take it to a body shop where a friend of his worked so he could get a better price on the repair. I insisted on my own body shop that I trusted. OK, hubby (boyfriend at the time) owns a Chevy dealership and I wanted his guys to fix it because I know they do good work.

When it came time for the guy to pay he wanted a payment plan which the dealership doesn't do...normally they hold the vehicle until you pay for it but with the vehicle being mine...let's just say they know where to find me if they released the car and the guy stiffed them. Eventually it all got worked out and the guy paid for the repair. THEN he decides to submit the incident to his insurance company to get some damage to his truck from when he had hit a drive-thru pole repaired. He had hit me with the "wheelies", the things that stick out the back to strap your tires to so no damage was done to his vehicle in THAT incident.

I'm lucky that my incident worked out. Your guy is probably legit but I think I would rather deal with his insurance company (he hit you and you have the note) than have him personally take care of the money end. If he's going to pay out of his pocket ask the body shop if they can get some way to secure the money up front, it takes time to repair a vehicle and he can use that time to change his mind.

Good luck! Hope it works out for you!
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[fairybasslet]

Man are you lucky. Some drunk driver plowed into my parked car and nearly totaled it. The cost to repair it was $500 less than worth of the car. He not only hit my car, he his a succession of cars but lucky me, mine was the worst. He also tore into the front yard of the apartment building where I lived, ruined the grass and some hedges. Needless to say he didn't leave a note and I am assuming he must have been drunk to have done that much damage.

Anyway, just call the dude and see what he says. If he wants to go through insurance, fine. If he wants to avoid an increase in premiums, I would give him that option too. However, I would file a police report just in case he reneges. One of my son's friends back up into his car and did about $2000 worth of damage. I got an estimate, called her father and he paid for it out of pocket. When I took it to the body shop, the body shop owner got his phone number and CC number.

Then my son hit someone (aren't teenagers fun) and I guess he thought I had deep pockets like his friend's dad and he told the woman that I would pay for the damage out of pocket. Huh...no. I went through insurance.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Oh, one more thing. My guy kept calling me "just to talk" after it was all said and done. Somehow I turned into his personal therapist after the ordeal, he'd call just to chat about how his life was going...this went on for almost a year before he finally disappeared.
Did I mention I am a weirdo magnet?
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Scubakevdm]

I would guess that the guy had been drinking and that's why he didn't get the cops involved last night. Even if the number is no good, at least you know that he's sorry.

 

[00scuba]

ok, talked to Jim. He lives on the top floor of my condo. I am not sure if he was more sorry or more embarrassed. He has insurance, and will call his agent to see if he should submit a claim or just pay out of pocket. He said he must have hit a slippery patch. He will call me back after he talks to his agent.

I didnt find out about the leftover chicken, I will ask him when he calls back. Thank you for posting advice. I appreciate that.

Do I need to file a police report still?

 

[joystershell]

Well Sandy, sounds like it's going to work out the way it should. You got lucky, darling!

 

[Ber Rabbit]

ok, talked to Jim. He lives on the top floor of my condo. I am not sure if he was more sorry or more embarrassed. He has insurance, and will call his agent to see if he should submit a claim or just pay out of pocket. He said he must have hit a slippery patch. He will call me back after he talks to his agent.

I didnt find out about the leftover chicken, I will ask him when he calls back. Thank you for posting advice. I appreciate that.

Do I need to file a police report still?

If it's going to get taken care of I wouldn't bother. Around Dayton if there aren't any injuries the cops don't come to an accident in the city anyway

Careful asking about the chicken unless you REALLY want the guy to continue talking to you long after the car is fixed
Ber :lilbunny: