A waste co. collecting my skip knocked down my neighbour's gate pillar.

A waste co. collecting my skip knocked down my neighbour's gate pillar.

Nobody saw it happen as it was the middle of the day and we were all out.

It could only have been the waste skip truck as it is a very small cul de sac where it is difficult for even large cars to manoueve.

My neighbour called around tonight - I didn't even realise it had been knocked down as I had rushed into the house after work. The neighbour said to call the waste co. and tell them. Tried this pm but they were closed.

Will ring them tomorrow, but what if they deny it?

Where does it leave me in relation to responsibility for the pillar. I don't mind paying e200/e300 towards its repair (it will have been a very expensive skip), but any more might be a problem. I certainly don't want to fall out with neighbours - they are really nice - and I don't want to get involved with solrs letters to waste co. - but I can't see them coming back or even admitting responsibility for it - maybe I'm just being pessisimistic!

Advice appreciated, once again!

Nothing to do with you .... you didn't knock it.

If they want to pursue it they have to deal with the waste company themselves.

Don't pay for something you didn't do and don't admit liability.

How can you be liable for something when you weren't even there??

Let your neighbours sort their own plllar out. Stay out of it.

I agree with paddy!
Give the neighbour the phone number of the waste co and let them follow it up. tell your neighbour it is awful and you'll never use that waste co again.... but don't offer to pay. It's nothing to do with you in the slightest! What if your postman crashed his van into your neighbour's car on the way to delivering a parcel to you? same thing

+1.

If no-one was home, and no-one saw the incident, how come the skip lorry is guilty? Is there other evidence, CCTV or whatever?

Whatever happened it is none of your business; don't get involved.

Everyone seems to be taking a very legalistic approach and forgetting it's hard to buy good neighbours

RAINDODGER said:

Everyone seems to be taking a very legalistic approach and forgetting it's hard to buy good neighbours

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It's posted in ask about law!!

Now dont forget - the neighbour can claim off their insurance. The op can't.

I would be sympathetic to the neighbour but I would would be very careful about admitting liability or offered to pay for the damage.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I telephoned the waste co. on Sat morning. The girl on the phone was non-plussed about it and said to contact the Manager on Tuesday morning by faxing a letter saying the details of what happened.

However, I don't know the details, as in everybody was out, and it was presumed the skip truck was the likely culprit - which I assume to be the case also.

What do I say in the letter? Should my neighbour be writing the letter? What are the implications for me of becoming involved? When you all mentioned admitting liability - is offering something towards the broken pillar admitting liability? I really want to help the situation and not fall out with anyone, so not sure what is still best to do.

Thanks again.

As mentioned ... stay out of it.
Let neighbour write letter.

Read the posts above ... they all say the same thing.

You'll only cause problems for yourself if you get into it.

RAINDODGER said:

... it's hard to buy good neighbours

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If you have to buy them they're not worth the price.

I agree with most of the above; apart from buying good neighbours.. O.P. it really has nothing too do with you. The best thing you can do is again call up to your neighbours; explain what they need to do; let them fight for it. Please do not admit or compensate for something that you were not responsible for. good luck !!!

A friend of mine works with a leading Waste Removal firm. His job entails Health and Safety, Security and Accident Investigation/liaison with insurance companies and injured parties.
His approach is very simple. If their lorry is at fault for small damage as in this case they just tell the injured party to get a fair estimate and they will settle.
Any compnany with several lorries on the road will have accidents like this and it is cheaper in the long run to settle without the insurance company.
However if the lorry driver was responsible the decent thing would have been to leave a note for the neighbour with contact details etc