Last August a neighbour of my mum's reversed into my car while it was parked overnight on the road outside her house.
The neighbour admitted he'd done it and told me to get some quotes for getting it fixed, and that he'd sort the money out with me, rather than go through the insurance.

I priced up the parts on the internet, and also found a garage to do the work on the car (it needing doing quickly as the bonnet wouldn't open), got the work done and posted the bill through the neighbour's door with a note asking for money.

7 months later, and still no money. What should I do?

Sounds like a case for Judge Judy!

Originally posted by JonJParr
Sounds like a case for Judge Judy!

Indeed. Court action is the way to go. As long as you can prove that you have agreed with your neighbour that:

a) They admitted fault
b) They agreed to pay
c) Magical Trevor is cool

then you should have no problems....

Go round, knock on his door and politly ask for the money that he owes you, have you still got a copy of the bill?

talk to them first, if they won't play then contact your insurance company and if possible their insurance company, you should be able to reclaim the cost from their insurance company.
You could also get a solicitors letter. Court should be the last option.

Unfortunately I didn't keep a copy of the bill, as I really thought he was going to pay up within a day or two of me giving it to him last year - afterall he'd been honest enough to admit he'd done it in the first place!

I think I'll pay him a visit and ask him if there any chance he can sort out getting me the money by a definite date. If he doesn't pay up by say, the end of the month, then I'll get the insurance companies involved and go down that route.

I really don't want to aggravate him, as he's my mum's neighbour, but then again I've been £170 out of pocket since August so I think he's had long enough to pay up now.

Finger's crossed he's been saving a few pounds a week and he'll hand it all over to me with a smile :-)

I think you've given him enuf time already to sort this out.

If it were me, I would get in contact with my insurance now and also ask the garage to provide a copy of the bill, detailing works done etc.

It's hard when it's your mum's neighbour, maybe he thought you would just forget about it, being neighbours and all that.

I think he's being so unfair, cos' at the end of the day he's in the wrong not you.

Take a firm hold of him around the throat and continue as you so please...

A little note through the door telling him you'll pop round at the weekend to talk to him about the outstanding debt on the car damage. That gives him the opportunity to think about it, get the pennies together, formulate a plan, etc. Call round (he'll expect you) and sort it out there and then. If it goes nasty, which it shouldn't, then contact your insurance company and tell him you are doing so.