The neighbor's kid scratched my car!!!!!!

[AdamEL]

[The IOM Ninja]

Originally Posted by AdamEL

Also it sounds like this little b-tard that scratched your car should have met Sir. Coathangerton the 3rd a few years ago. There seem to be a lot of kids that should have met this very great man.

[AdamEL]

My Mom and Dad would have beaten the absolute crap out of me if I negligently damaged somebody's car, regardless if it was a Camaro, a Lamborghini or a Pinto. I learned at a very early age to respect other people and their property. I guess I'm just from a different school of discipline...

[camarozzzz]

Originally Posted by AdamEL

Thanks for the opinions, everybody. Some good points were made. I ended up seeing the kid outside later today, so my wife and I approached him calmly and told him that he damaged my car earlier today. He didn't deny it. I asked to speak to his mother, and she was relatively calm about it at first. Then I said, "If I see him fooling around near my car again, I'm going to call the cops and file a restraining order". And that pissed her off. She said, "You do know that I'm in law school, right?!". Then she said she'd put a restraining order on ME if that happened. Whatever... I'm not planning on starting any legal crap with this lady. All she has to do is tell her son to leave everyone's cars alone and everything will be fine. And for the record, my sister-in-law is a lawyer, so I don't feel threatened. But again, I'm not trying to start any crap or drama with anyone in my neighborhood. I just want kids to leave my damn car alone. I don't feel that's too much to ask of anyone.

As someone who has a fair knowledge of law and its practices I can tell you now your response was GOOD. EXCEPT ONE THING. Do not tell anyone you will file a restraining order against them for doing something. Tell them if their kid goes near your car again you will call the police and file a complaint, sure that is cool to do, but the second you drop the restraining order thing in, it is like going up to someone and telling them if they do something you will punch them in return for bothering you.

It automatically throws in the defensive stances - it is basically putting them onto the defensive - before you threw that in there they were basically just sitting there taking what you had to say (that is what you want, you want them to be eating from your hand and what you say), now if things ever escalate they might try and say that you harassed them and threatened their little Johnny goodshoes with restraining orders and bothered them at their home.

But ya least you got it over with! I still suggest getting a security camera. Easy set up and pays itself off nicely!

[AdamEL]

Good point, Camarozzzz. Looking back at it, I probably shouldn't have said anything about the cops at all, but I'm just super serious about my car. I understand that accidents can happen, but I don't look at this as an accident. Just negligence and zero respect. But I just hope this crap is over with.

[90503]

Originally Posted by AdamEL

Good point, Camarozzzz. Looking back at it, I probably shouldn't have said anything about the cops at all, but I'm just super serious about my car. I understand that accidents can happen, but I don't look at this as an accident. Just negligence and zero respect. But I just hope this crap is over with.

OP spoke his peace, but I think failed with the restraining order thing...

If I had to deal with kids, instead of being a tough guy, try this...might sound corny, but I know it works....Make friends with the kid!...Take him for a ride in the car!...He might even help you wash it! and keep an eye on it for you when you're not around...

Better results are had with an ounce of sugar instead of a pound of vinegar...lol

[AdamEL]

I agree. I approached him and his mother very calmly. I shook the kid's hand and introduced myself and all that. I don't want them to feel threatened, I just want them to know that what they're doing is wrong.

[jmaynard]

Speak to the parents but in a non-accusatory manner. Let them know that there has been a problem with damage to your car and that you dont want their kids to be blamed so it might be best to have the kids stay away from your vehicle. Just drop a hint about the new hidden camera that you just had installed as a result of the damage. No parent wants to pay for video taped damage so i am sure they will instruct the kids properly.

That being said, as others have stated, you have no proof. Chalk it up to a bad experience and let it be.

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by RollaMo

Oh yeah, that is just great advice.

Go ahead and fabricate some "lies" to try and pin this on some kid that may or may not have had anything to do with it.

How would you feel if someone accused you of doing something, and had witnesses to back it up.
But you know for a fact you didn't have anything to do with it?

Unless you have 100% positive proof, there really isn't anything you can do.

Go ahead and piss off all the kids in the apartment complex.
You'll come out one day and find your car is much worse shape.

WTF are you talking about...?? He SAW the kid do it. How could the kid "may or not have had anything to do with it" when he actually saw him?

[tazz3]

Its a shame tell the punks dad you saw them from the window.
If the dad is smart he will believe you..

[5cents]

I know you don't want to hear this, I know we can't pick and choose our neighbors, especially in an appartment complex setting, but I think confronting the parents and kid would just be asking for more trouble. IMO you are stuck unless you move. You might try talking to the appartment complex management about kids playing in the parking lot.

[5cents]

Originally Posted by tazz3

Its a shame tell the punks dad you saw them from the window.
If the dad is smart he will believe you..

More than likely, the punk kid has a punk dad that don't give a damn about other peoples' property either.

[its a syn]

Billy bada** probably got a reaming when he got home and now is real pissed. I would set up a camera quick as he will be looking for revenge soon. Sucks, getting the scrach, I just found a ding in my back bumper yesterday.

[Fnfalguy]

I had my car about two months when my son drug a dorm refrigerator across the rear quarter panel.