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Topic: URGENTwindow smashed by teenagers

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ponty_pate

10/8/2014 at 12:04am
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We are on a seasonal pitch and last week the teenagers who were staying with their grandparents on the pitch next to us smashed one of our windows with a rugby ball 😡. My wife was in the caravan at the time, I was nearby and my daughter and some neighbours children saw it happen so we had plenty of witnesses. The teenager came over to apologise straight away and I immediately spoke to his grandparents to say that the damage is Unrepairable and a new window would need to be sourced. In the meantime I taped the window up as best I could but with the heavy rain and winds coming in and also the security issue I am very concerned. The neighbours took full responsibility for the damage and I went away that evening to source a replacement window on the net. In the morning I phoned a supplier and managed to get a price... £297. I went to tell the family but they were having none of it and said they couldn't possibly afford that!!but I can I suppose, I replied. It got very heated but they still refused to pay. They were due to leave site on the Saturday so I gave them until Friday evening to confirm what they would be doing about it. I had to chase the for the answer which was 'there's nothing we can do, we can't afford that!'. I asked for the boys parents telephone number as they were staying with grandparents and spoke to their parents who said 'accidents happen' 😡. I told them that the lads were old enough to know better being 17 and there is no way I am paying. I cannot go through insurance as the excess is £250 plus our price would go up next year and we would lose our no claims. I have given them until tomorrow tea time to let me know what they are doing but I have a feeling they will refuse to pay! Can anyone please advise on my options. I'm thinking of small claims court. Thanks

tango55

10/8/2014 at 12:25am
Location: Lichfield
Outfit: Coachman Amara 450

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Proceeding to a small claims court is a waste of time as you will find that this is the action usually taken against registered businesses in general when an agreement cannot be met by either party.
If you have witnesses that are willing to fully support your claim then the advice would be to speak to the Police and ask them what the best course of action is and request a case number in relation to your complaint. You may well find that the only option available to you is to claim on your caravan insurance and supply them with the corresponding Police case number and the document with the cost of the replacement window plus labour charges. If the insurance have the related information from the Police then your insurance may not increase but going alone asking for payment from the offenders will not work unless they oblige to pay up which they have refused.
The damage was accidental and not deliberate and that is why you need to speak to the Police first as it may not be considered to be a criminal offence so any further action would be a waste of time. That's exactly what you pay your insurance for so if in doubt speak to them if you have no success with the Police.

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ponty_pate

10/8/2014 at 12:36am
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Thanks but it makes me so mad! I may as well have put a sign on my van saying please damage me and I will pay for it. It was an accident waiting to happen as we had already asked then to move away from the van when playing with the ball.

Bob61

10/8/2014 at 12:43am
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If you had already asked them to move away from the van and they continued playing with the ball resulting in damage then that could be construed to be reckless and therefore an offence of criminal damage. Whether the police will see it like that is debatable and certainly the Crown Prosecution Service wouldn't consider it in the public interest to proceed with an offence.

I think you just have to look upon it as an accident and claim on your insurance.

moorlander999

10/8/2014 at 2:26am
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Ring the police - criminal damage - being reckless etc

zara

10/8/2014 at 6:53am
Location: stockport
Outfit: elldis 544 land rover defender

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Have you spoken to the owners of the site, they might have a word with them.

Whatamess

10/8/2014 at 7:19am
Location: North Wales
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The problem with the small claims court is that, even if you win, they don't have to pay up and can completely ignore it. Then you have to go down the bailiff route, which I think will cost you to do, and they have to seize goods to the value of whatever the judgment is.

If your excess is nearly as much as the window, would it not be an idea to just pay for the window? At least it won't affect your insurance.

Nora

alpiner

10/8/2014 at 7:44am
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If you managed to take it to court you would still not get compensation for the full amount, if the offenders claim the can not pay. the court would set an amount that they consider that they could afford, and that would prpbebly be about £50 to be payed in instalments.
if they are still on site you would be better asking them,
if you cant afford the full amount, what can you afford and try and get the best offer from them
Wouldnt this be better than them wallking away paying nothing.
At the cost of a replacement you would be wasting your time trying to get the full amount through the courts.
Try these people for a repair or replacement www.eeco-ltd.co.uk/LINK

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alpiner

Kittendreich

10/8/2014 at 8:16am
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Advising the police about the incident would be a good idea - that way at least you'll be more likely to have the correct name and details! You don't have to expect them to be charged with anything, but the police can note the details in case it is something that is part of a pattern of behaviour.

As for your window have you looked at caravan breakers? We had to replace a window after getting a large scrape while towing through a too narrow gap. I think we were around £40-50 for the window and just fitted it ourselves (it was purchased over the web & posted to us). It was an exact match from the same year of van.

Tigermouse

10/8/2014 at 8:52am
Location: Bolton Lancs
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So sorry you've had your window broken.

It's not quite the same thing but I had my drive away awning badly damaged a few years ago by teenagers playing football so I know how mad you must feel, especially as these lads had already been asked to move away.

Some very good suggestions here so far. Contacting the police would be a good idea, maybe nothing would come of it regarding these lads being charged with anything but at least you'd have a crime number if you do go down the insurance route.

If you don't want to go through your insurance and the grandparents can't/don't want to pay the amount you've been quoted then ask what they would be willing to pay and accept that - anything is better than nothing.

If you've made the window fairly secure and you can leave it like that for a while then definitely have a look at sourcing another one from a caravan breakers and fitting it yourself - it'll be much cheaper and you never know, if these people give you something towards your original quote you may even come out a few quid on top.

Hope you manage to find a satisfactory outcome - do let us know how you get on.

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ponty_pate

10/8/2014 at 9:57am
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Thanks all. Weather was terrible last night and the window is leaking teally bad 😫. We may phone the police today but the people haveleft site and we have checked that the details we have are correct as the site owners have confirmed. Site owners said they couldn't get involved 😞. We can't afford £300 and as suggested, I agree that looking around for a second hand one etc would be the ideal solution but as it's leaking and the caravan is now not secure we are against time.

It has ruined our holiday and has put us all in a bad mood because of other peoples actions. It's incredible that we have no other option than to pay for it ourselves when we are totally the innocent party. It makes me so mad!!!

fleck2

10/8/2014 at 10:38am
Location: Derbyshire
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Search for greenhouse repair tape on eBay it is excellent tape for a temporary mend, better than duct tape. The stuff I bought was a greeny colour and about 4 quid a roll

ferretlady

10/8/2014 at 10:41am
Location: Mid Wales
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I think the site owners could help you a bit more. Surely they could help cover that end of the caravan with sheeting. Dk think you should contact the police. Can't it be paid for by their insurance?
My neighbours son broke one of my double glazed windows at home, it was all sorted through their insurance!

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ponty_pate

10/8/2014 at 10:46am
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Thanks re tape, will definitely look for that. Not sure about their insurance but worth a try. I told the mum that I would phone her this afternoon to find out what she is going to do about it. Will probably be done for harassment now the way this is going!!

trog100

10/8/2014 at 11:21am
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i cant help but think.. is the cost of a second hand window worth all this hassle and grief..

was the saving on an insurance premium worth it.. i recon you should just put it down to experience and meet the cost.. but that is just my way of thinking..

trog

ponty_pate

10/8/2014 at 11:26am
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I agree it's not worth the hassle but we can't get a second hand one at the mo. Nothing available to match in the breakers yards and we have phoned 20! So it's £300 that we need to find. We will have to put it down to bitter experience and put it on the credit card. 😡😡

Thanks all 😊

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