Deliberate car damage

Dancingprincess on 04/05/2023 - 13:16
Last edited 04/05/2023 - 13:17

I live in a small complex of 8 apartments with a carpark out the back with 8 car spots. I have had an ongoing dispute with one of my neighbours ( as have all the neighbours) regarding some minor things like dripping oil all through the carpark and parking in other peoples spots. Anyway earlier this year said neighbour crashed into the back of my car when I was away. There was a witness to this who took photos and documented it so there was evidence. I confronted the neighbour. He denied everything. So I went through insurance. They contacted witnessed and declared the neighbour did it. My car was fixed with no cost to me and the bill was sent by the insurance company to the neighbour last week.

I have been away again, left my car in the carpark and have come home to the back of my car smashed in again ( I literally drove it once after being fixed). I am 100% sure this same neighbour did it as he has a bull bar and the damage is exactly the same as last time. Unfortunately there are no witnesses this time and said neighbour left for an overseas trip so can’t confront him. He will just deny it anyway. I am so devastated. I can’t afford the $700 excess to get it fixed again. What are my viable options? Anyone have any suggestions on what to do?

Automotive

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2023 - 13:22
    +93

    Move

      • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2023 - 13:54
        +9

        What?

        Edit: So, you swear at me and then delete the comment without explaining yourself. You should enjoy the rest of your day now that you've got that out of your system.

        • Muzeeb on 04/05/2023 - 14:24
          +8

          Since you can now delete responded to messages I'm starting to see this more and more.

          • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2023 - 14:31
            +4

            @Muzeeb: Oh - I haven't noticed although now thinking about it, it would appeal to such cowardly behaviour without risking a strike against the account.

          • brendanm on 04/05/2023 - 17:38
            +5

            @Muzeeb: Yes, allowing deletion is not a good thing.

            • Kangal on 05/05/2023 - 23:16

              @brendanm: I think it's a good thing… it shows to everyone who the cowards are. Also don't be offended when I delete this comment after 48hours, ciao

              • GodsSon23 on 06/05/2023 - 14:09
                +2

                @Kangal: Calling people cowards on the internet… Imagine.

                • Kangal on 07/05/2023 - 09:09
                  +1

                  @GodsSon23: Someone else used the term… but my comment is tongue in cheek :P

        • Powlie85 on 05/05/2023 - 11:38

          Could be your neighbor?

          • [Deactivated] on 05/05/2023 - 11:40

            @Powlie85: ?

            • Powlie85 on 05/05/2023 - 12:49

              @[Deactivated]: The guy who insulted you and deleted?

              • [Deactivated] on 05/05/2023 - 13:08
                +1

                @Powlie85: It must be the wife of the couple who live 2 houses down from us - she's never liked me yet fawns all over my husband every chance she gets. We collect their mail whenever they go away so that's gonna stop now that you've given me probable cause to strongly suspect that she's harassing me via OzB! No matter that I've never mentioned OzB to her or wotnot, it's gotta definitely be HER!

    • capslock on 04/05/2023 - 16:36
      +6

      But then the bad guy wins. Not such a great ending to the story.

      • [Deactivated] on 04/05/2023 - 17:36
        +40

        If a person is willing to wilfully damage his neighbour's car TWICE using his own vehicle as a weapon at the property where they both reside then my vote is to remove yourself from the situation because it doesn't have the potential of ending very well for you.

        I get your argument that the bad guy then wins but sometimes you need to choose your battles. Your home/property should be your sanctuary & if you're sharing it with an unreasonable neighbour then I would be adios outta there, especially if police weren't able to do anything in the first instance

        • rambao9 on 05/05/2023 - 11:16
          +11

          gotta dismantle their car first and then move since they're overseas :)

          • [Deactivated] on 05/05/2023 - 11:24

            @rambao9: lol

            Upping the ante on the respond in kind!

        • capslock on 06/05/2023 - 08:57
          -2

          Imagine telling that to Ukranians.

      • Papa Huggies on 05/05/2023 - 12:45
        +12

        This. I know personally I'm too proud to let that slide.

        In the end, what I'd do is something worse without witness then move. That way they're stuck being the loser.

        Is it petty? Yes, but they can eat shit.

      • Sxio on 05/05/2023 - 17:50
        +2

        But that's life. It's not a story book. It's real life. Do you want to have conflict, or do you want to move to a place where there is no conflict?

        I know what my choice would be. No matter what OP does, this could keep happening again and again. Unless they move.

      • RiseAndRuin on 06/05/2023 - 20:09

        Welcome to reality, this is Australia mate.

        Edit: not saying the bad guy should win, but it is what it is. Personally I'm looking to move to another country in the next few years. as soon as I can FIRE.

        • Franc-T on 08/05/2023 - 03:40
          -2

          Dude, there are assholes everywhere, not sure why you think this is an Australia problem

          • RiseAndRuin on 14/05/2023 - 18:30

            @Franc-T: Dude, I spent my life living across 3 continents, and most of the sh*t that happens in Australia doesn't happen anywhere else, and if it ever does, the police will definitely do something about it.

    • TilacVIP on 05/05/2023 - 08:56
      +8

      You make it sound like "moving" is like getting up at the cinema and going to another row.

      Probably the worse time to be moving due to the current situation with rentals & if the OP is an owner, even worse.

      Although an option, probably a worse case one at that.

      • [Deactivated] on 05/05/2023 - 10:03

        'Move' can also include moving & staying with family/friends while you consider your options.

        • Ridiculous Panda on 06/05/2023 - 10:05
          +2

          Oh that is actually worse than moving to a new place. Imagine having to explain why you are there to everyone who visits and sees you on the couch.. “oh nothing really.. just hiding from my ex neighbour that’s all”.

          • [Deactivated] on 06/05/2023 - 12:10

            @Ridiculous Panda: You guys & your pride! I get it tho.

        • serpserpserp on 06/05/2023 - 11:07
          +2

          'Move' can also mean Bikies.

    • HeWhoKnows on 05/05/2023 - 12:26
      +10

      OP should be having this discussion with the local Police

      • [Deactivated] on 05/05/2023 - 12:46

        Most definitely

  • Drpepper666 on 04/05/2023 - 13:24
    +34

    Bikies

    • iDroid on 04/05/2023 - 18:24
      +22

      This is one of the rare times this comes up that is actually a good suggestion.

      • ceroau on 06/05/2023 - 08:04
        +1

        How much is it to hire a bikie to rough someone up or there car at least? Can’t imagine it less than $700

        And who to say old mate doesn’t have bikie mates himself? Or can hire them himself. the neighbours proven the lack of (profanity) he has to give about being neighbourly.

        Invoking bikies sounds a lot like how you escalate a situation not resolve it.

        • pufffdragon on 06/05/2023 - 09:05
          +2

          I'm surprised bikies aren't listed in the "help" section of Ozbargain already.

    • drprox on 05/05/2023 - 12:18

      I actually sort've agree…

  • Muzeeb on 04/05/2023 - 13:26
    +2

    GoFundMe

  • bobbified on 04/05/2023 - 13:31
    +113

    Sounds like there's no cameras. Fight fire with fire. Make use of the fact that there's no cameras and destroy his car. The other neighbours might even be willing to turn a blind eye! haha

      • bobbified on 04/05/2023 - 14:09
        +85

        We often tell others to be the 'bigger person'. But sometimes, you just have to be the 'bigger arsehole'.

        • ceroau on 06/05/2023 - 08:13
          +7

          Trick in life is know when to hold your own and when to cut your loses. Op will likely not win a competition of who is the bigger (profanity) the neighbour already has a huge lead on that front

          It is such piss poor advice to basically tell someone to fight back against assholes by being a bigger (profanity), like all assholes are actually pussies who just never been challenged yet. like some shit in the movies . reality is most assholes are assholes because they never known kindness themselves, been challenged constantly by others, so squaring up to them by trying to be the bigger (profanity) is just going to escalate the situation.

      • iDroid on 04/05/2023 - 18:25
        +1

        Which is exactly why it's BRILLIANT!

      • Some Human on 05/05/2023 - 01:04
        +2

        21 people think it's a good idea.

        • s1Lence on 05/05/2023 - 18:31
          +1

          Which doesn't make it a good idea.

    • splicer on 05/05/2023 - 10:14
      +6

      Scratch or ding his car to the extend you feel is worth what has happened to your car.

      Buy a dash cam with motion detection or some other camera, install it facing your car in a discrete spot to catch him going to town on your car. Send video to insurance and police.

    • Caped Baldy on 05/05/2023 - 14:02
      +10

      If it's a common car, remove plates on to the same model and speed past traffic cameras.

      • babolimp on 06/05/2023 - 20:52
        +2

        this is a hilariously genius idea. just take it one step further and do it enough times so that it guarantees he loses his license. put an empty six pack in the passenger seat so it looks like he's drunk in the photo. imagine him coming home to no license because you've racked up several speeding offenses in his name haha. pair it with cameras to future proof against any more attacks on your car and you're golden.

        • Franc-T on 08/05/2023 - 03:43

          Neighbour is overseas will be able to get out of them

        • magic8ballgag on 08/05/2023 - 11:43

          You think it's both hilarious and genius?

  • Stopback on 04/05/2023 - 13:34
    +2

    Yeah places with bad car parks suck.

    People just go crazy in them.

    • CodeXD on 04/05/2023 - 13:47
      +16

      This. It has happened before, and you were lucky that the neighbour saw it and is able to be a witness. It should have been a wake up call to get cameras installed.

    • Bdawg on 04/05/2023 - 13:48
      +1

      Wow you sound like a total not unhinged person.

    • ssfps on 05/05/2023 - 09:42
      +4

      AustriaBargain's elderly mother got house-broken and raped, then didn't move house. It's perfectly reasonable she gets raped again. She has nobody to blame but herself.

      Interesting take on justice you have there.

      • ceroau on 06/05/2023 - 08:22
        +1

        OP situation is far more akin to “ssfps lives in a bad neighbourhood and doesn’t bother having a lock on their front door after being robbed of all their belongings once ssfps still didn’t put a lock on their front door and got robbed again, ssfps has no one to blame but themselves”

        Op had plenty of warning that his neighbour was trouble and didn’t even do the bare minimum to mitigate himself from the risks that neighbour posed. Seeing a risk to yourself and assuming it not your real responsibility to do something to mitigate is naive. We do not live in a fair and just world.

        • idonotknowwhy on 07/05/2023 - 09:33

          AustriaBargain's elderly mother got…

          ssfps lives in a bad neighbourhood and…

          Can I have a story too?

          • ssfps on 07/05/2023 - 11:58
            +3

            @idonotknowwhy:

            idonotknowwhy felt left out on a bargain forum, his dashcam recorded merely rain

        • ssfps on 07/05/2023 - 12:08
          +2

          There are valid reasons for him not preparing adequately, since the cost is significant. Cameras may not even have helped, but if he just bought another house with a locked garage…

          I would only agree with your victim blaming if the victim in question was negligent, for example had locks but simply failed to lock them.

        • magic8ballgag on 08/05/2023 - 11:51

          Please explain how OP installing a dashcam in their car would have mitigated the risks of them being targeted again.

          • ceroau on 08/05/2023 - 16:31

            @magic8ballgag: Risk mitigation isn't only about prevention.

            You can get dashcam that cover the rear of the car and that still work when the car isn't on. If OP had such a dashcam it would have likely captured who damaged OP's car which if it was OP's neighbor like OP is saying than he would have been able to identify the assailant and report it meaning the responsible party would liable for paying the damages/excess.

            OP biggest issue is that he is liable for the damages if he wants to fix them because he can't prove anyone else did it while still shitty and inconvenient that it happen again it would be far less of a problem for OP if he was able to prove someone else did it.

    • drprox on 05/05/2023 - 12:19

      Unsure why you're being negged so much. Fool me once…
      Yep I'd have gotten some cheap camera solution.

      • jonathan111 on 06/05/2023 - 08:53

        It only records when car is on viofio

      • bmerigan on 07/05/2023 - 21:58

        Because victim blaming

  • DJR9000 on 04/05/2023 - 13:54
    +24

    front and rear dashcam with motion detection on a hardwired power setup would be a start in case it happens again

    out of luck for the other damange… maybe body corporate can install cameras, bollards or both

    • stringbean402 on 05/05/2023 - 07:29
      +8

      This is what needs to be done.

      If he does it again and with sufficient evidence available he will be charged with willful damage by the police.

      I can be a bit of a dick, I would install cams, confront the guy, and let him do it again.

    • Ramrunner on 05/05/2023 - 15:07

      Yeah - PROBABLY I would have done this after the first time myself. You must have known that would piss him off even more.

      But live and learn and do it now.

    • Franc-T on 08/05/2023 - 03:44
      +1

      Op cant afford excess, wont be able to afford a dashcam either

  • sharkyoz on 04/05/2023 - 14:05
    +26

    just trash his car while he's away

  • cookie2 on 04/05/2023 - 14:06
    +5

    I'm sorry op. Was the witness able to share any proof of intent to damage the car? If so, could you contact the police about the previous and if you have pics that show the same damage, would it be enough to get some sort of intervention order? Won't fix your car tho sorry. I'd write to your body corporate as well to request cameras and safety concerns etc.

    I'd also google how to make a piss disc and organise daily drop offs under the neighbours front door. Also some dogshit on the inside of the neighbours door handles.

    And get the dashcam. If you don't have to fix ithe car yet then don't.

    • Tiredman on 04/05/2023 - 14:22
      +1

      Plenty that can do that. Some comes with sensors that records when needed. Been using them for years.

    • Brick50 on 04/05/2023 - 14:22
      +2

      What's funny? My dashcams are running in the garage right now. And will turn off once they hit my specified battery voltage

      • boomramada on 04/05/2023 - 14:29
        -6

        Sure, best way to kill your battery.

        • BewareOfThe Dog on 04/05/2023 - 14:35

          Hook up to a Powerbank?

          • boomramada on 04/05/2023 - 14:40
            +2

            @BewareOfThe Dog: You gonna trust a power bank left in a car in a hot summer day?

            • keejoonc on 04/05/2023 - 14:57
              +5

              @boomramada: There are dedicated dashcam batteries you can hook it up to. Welcome to the 21st century.

              • Ghost47 on 04/05/2023 - 16:50
                +4

                @keejoonc: What a time to be alive.

                • keejoonc on 04/05/2023 - 16:59
                  +8

                  @boomramada: Dashcam is like paying for insurance premium. It feels like an useless expenditure until you need it.

                • splicer on 05/05/2023 - 10:20

                  @boomramada: Consider yourself lucky?

                  It's a small one-time investment that will save headaches in future.

            • buckster on 06/05/2023 - 17:42

              @boomramada: Been doing this for years and it's fine.

      • kyle on 05/05/2023 - 07:05
        +1

        Install the backup battery?

        • pharkurnell on 05/05/2023 - 10:35

          Mine has a voltage cut off so battery cant go flat.

    • pharkurnell on 04/05/2023 - 14:58
      +1

      Your new to dash cam's eh….

      • sidesw1pe on 04/05/2023 - 17:57
        +7

        Your new

        His new

  • ozbaragan on 04/05/2023 - 14:22
    +1

    leave a note for him https://au.news.yahoo.com/aussie-man-cops-1300-act-of-vandal…

  • apple2016 on 04/05/2023 - 14:28
    +6

    There was a witness to this who took photos and documented it so there was evidence.

    you should have also lodged a police complaint if you thought it was intentional the first time. Would have helped now.

  • Euphemistic on 04/05/2023 - 14:38
    +2

    Well if you can’t afford to get it repaired you are out of luck without a witness.

    Revenge is an option, but a dangerous one considering you think this person has already escalated. You could put nails under their tyres, drop prawn heads in the air intake, get bikies to steal their car etc but what is likely to come back at you?

    I think the first response is likely the best option. Get out of there ASAP, or work out how to get the neighbour to move.

  • Dancingprincess on 04/05/2023 - 15:06
    +7

    Thanks everyone. Not so easy to move as I own my unit. Neighbour is a renter. Will talk to body corporate about installing cameras. Never was a need before as all neighbours are friends in the small complex but this guy has moved in and just an absolute wa#$er.

    • Muzeeb on 04/05/2023 - 17:53
      +45

      just an absolute wa#$er.

      If he's a waiter, go the restaurant he works at don't leave a tip. That'll teach him.

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