Drivers ran cars into my fence and my house

EagleMoon · #1 12-12-2009, 11:16 PM

I live next to a bar/restaurant. The parking lot is about 8 feet from my house. A few days ago someone drove over the tire stop and ran into the side of my house. Left a bit of dent and knocked some paint off. Now last night someone ran into my chain link fence and made a big bowed out area in it and pulled it away from the posts. I've let the people who work there what has happened, but I've not actually talked to the woman who leases the place yet. I'm just wondering what kind of rights I have (if any) They really need to put up a privacy fence (a brick wall would be even better) but I have a feeling it's going to be a fight to get anything done. Does anyone have any suggestions about what to do?

fdeck · #2 12-12-2009, 11:19 PM

Obviously, ask her for a gig.

Number27 · #3 12-12-2009, 11:54 PM

does anyone else think it's amazingly ironic that this thread was right below another thread called "what are you drinking tonight?" lolz

i would litter their parking lot with caltrops, but those can be pretty hard to find in this day and age.

EagleMoon · #4 12-12-2009, 11:57 PM

If I knew what a caltrop was I might look for some.

Number27 · #5 12-12-2009, 11:58 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltrops

http://www.defensedevices.com/caltrops.html

Darkstrike · #6 12-12-2009, 11:59 PM

Spikes you scatter acroos the ground.

5StringBlues · #7 12-13-2009, 12:00 AM

Free drinks for life.

Deluge Of Sound · #8 12-13-2009, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5StringBlues

Free drinks for life.

+1.

Thunderscreech · #9 12-13-2009, 08:27 AM

Automic Nerf Gun turrents.

Also, figure out a way to attract lots of birds. You know what bird do on cars...

RWP · #10 12-13-2009, 01:35 PM

Install motion activated video cameras. Sooner or later your house will surely be on one of those TV shows where some stupid guy drives through some poor guys house. Might even be some money in it for ya'.

Nedmundo · #11 12-13-2009, 02:49 PM

The owner probably has insurance to cover the damage to your house and fence, so just speak to her about it. If the owner wants to be a good neighbor, it shouldn't be a big deal, but you never know. You'll probably need to get estimates for the costs of the repairs. To prevent future problems, maybe the insurance company would reduce their rates if they put up a low brick or concrete wall, so that's worth exploring.

Demon_Hunter · #12 12-13-2009, 03:41 PM

Call the police?

Stanley Design · #13 12-13-2009, 03:59 PM

No need for a brick wall, a couple of jersey barriers should be cheap and effective. If anyone drives over one of those, they probably wont make it out of your yard afterwards.

EagleMoon · #14 12-13-2009, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nedmundo

The owner probably has insurance to cover the damage to your house and fence, so just speak to her about it. If the owner wants to be a good neighbor, it shouldn't be a big deal, but you never know. You'll probably need to get estimates for the costs of the repairs. To prevent future problems, maybe the insurance company would reduce their rates if they put up a low brick or concrete wall, so that's worth exploring.

Thanks for taking the time to actually answer my question.

I had mentioned something to them before about putting up a privacy fence, and I got one of the " we can't afford it" answers. So I figure this is going to be a fight. The other thing that's going on is that people go out in their cars and do drugs. Their cars face my dining room window, so I see all sorts of things going on. I thought that might be a little bit of leverage to getting something done. Otherwise I would be calling the police every night.

Demon_Hunter - it's too late to call the police. The people who did it took off right after it happened. All the police would do would be to take a statement. Not much they can do after the fact.

EagleMoon · #15 12-13-2009, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stanley Design

No need for a brick wall, a couple of jersey barriers should be cheap and effective. If anyone drives over one of those, they probably wont make it out of your yard afterwards.

Are those those tall flat things you see when they're working on the highway?

Stanley Design · #16 12-13-2009, 04:02 PM

EagleMoon · #17 12-13-2009, 04:04 PM

That's a thought. Though that's certainly not a very aesthetic solution.

Lady Kayri · #18 12-13-2009, 04:19 PM

Even if the bar puts in larger car stops, that would be cheaper in the long run than if one of their patrons does some real damage to your house one of these days, and you end up having to sue them. Also, document the dates of when you talk to people at the bar, and their names and positions/job titles; that could well become evidence if you end up having to sue them - supporting your having contacted them about the problems and their refusal to do anything about it. Might be worth contacting a local lawyer (Some of them will do initial consultations for lower rates) and seeing what they might suggest - perhaps a letter from attorney establishing there is a problem, and stating it's their responsibility to make sure the barriers on their parking lot are adequate? Plus it might be interesting to check in with the office that monitors construction, etc. and see if there are any laws in your locality about how parking lots should be set up, etc. Don't wait until someone actually puts a car through your outside wall to start taking steps of some kind. And even if the police only take statements when there are incidents, the fact the incident has been officially reported can take a lot of weight when / if you end up in court.

EagleMoon · #19 12-13-2009, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady Kayri

Even if the bar puts in larger car stops, that would be cheaper in the long run than if one of their patrons does some real damage to your house one of these days, and you end up having to sue them. Also, document the dates of when you talk to people at the bar, and their names and positions/job titles; that could well become evidence if you end up having to sue them - supporting your having contacted them about the problems and their refusal to do anything about it. Might be worth contacting a local lawyer (Some of them will do initial consultations for lower rates) and seeing what they might suggest - perhaps a letter from attorney establishing there is a problem, and stating it's their responsibility to make sure the barriers on their parking lot are adequate? Plus it might be interesting to check in with the office that monitors construction, etc. and see if there are any laws in your locality about how parking lots should be set up, etc. Don't wait until someone actually puts a car through your outside wall to start taking steps of some kind. And even if the police only take statements when there are incidents, the fact the incident has been officially reported can take a lot of weight when / if you end up in court.

Thanks. I did go out and take pictures of the tire tracks and where the car hit the house. I think the barriers would be adequate if we weren't talking about people that have had a few drinks.

Unrepresented · #20 12-13-2009, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EagleMoon

tall flat things

Perhaps one of the more self-contradictory descriptions I've read in a while.