Isn't it the law that if there's damage above $500-ish, a police report must be filed? Personally, I'd be amicable as heck about the whole thing, but it'd be documented by a police report before the evidence is gone... otherwise it turns in to he said/she said and if their story suddenly changed, you'd have no recourse. I think this is already a crime scene... and it sounds like evidence has already been removed.

It bothers me that you had to ask them about the damage. Yes, they were "honest" about it, but their legal obligation was to be the ones to inform you, not to duck inside when the opportunity arose! This alone would make my alarms sound.

As for putting it on your car insurance: no, No, NO! Why should you put yourselves in a position to have your rates raised or be dropped? If any insurance is to pay for it, it should be the boy's parents' insurance (home owners or auto liability) or nothing.

I'm the nicest neighbor you'll find. I'll bake you cookies when you move in, watch your kids/pets, water your plants, invite you to dinner, wave every time I see you, or leave you alone (if you prefer it)... but unless restitution came to me immediately and in cash (I'd have no recourse any other way), I'd be sweetly involving the police, and apologizing that I was obligated to do so under the law as a result of the actions of the boy... I'm a good neighbor, not a doormat.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Good advice!

You do NOT want to file on your own policy. Insurance companies are real cute when it comes to refusing to renew policies for people that file for those little things.

Insurance companies are real cute when it comes to refusing to renew policies for people that file for those little things.

And if they do renew, they raise your rates. If they've given the little darling the go-cart, they should pay for his accidents 100%.

Yep.....what they said!

I join the chorus - all good advise

Thanks all! DH got the message about the insurance company, TG! He took all the estimates [best is now just under $1200] and went over to their house last night, but, oh my, father is out of town until Saturday and mom (who is/was the nicest of the bunch) says father is the one who will take care of it. I'll believe it when I see the money.

Jaz, the vehicle was on private property, so in this locale it is not *required* to involve the police. Even so, I admit I wish I had called them immediately. I had thought that only the plastic/glass covering and lightbulbs were broken; that would have cost less than $100 to repair. To me that wasn't a biggie, and could/should have been settled easily with something like having the kid do yardwork in reparation. It was later that evening when I learned that the damage included a deeply bent area in the signal unit's framework along with more dents in the adjoining quarter panel and door. That's when I realized the police should have been called immediately, if for nothing more than an impersonal legal presence.

Well, tomorrow is Saturday, and methinks that father had best have money ready upon his return, or I'm liable to get my favorite lawyer directly involved. My present mantra is to follow Teddy Roosevelt's maxim: "Walk quietly, and carry a big stick."

My present mantra is to follow Teddy Roosevelt's maxim: "Walk quietly, and carry a big stick."

Good mantra. We've had a similar problem in our sub-division with a couple of underage kids whose parent gave them small ATV's which they used to roar around the neighborhood. One of them almost hit me when I was out one day dragging the hoses around. Of course, since I'm the "mean lady" in the neighborhood, a few choice words from me had them avoiding out end of the neighborhood. But the rest of the people finally got so upset they took it to the HOA Nazis, and suddenly the ATV's disappeared.

I hope the issue will be resolved soon and to your satisfaction. You are being gracious by even allowing them the opportunity to make it right.

Allowing your kids to operate vehicles like that on-road in a residential community speaks volumes to me about children who will move up the next step of nuisance as the opportunity arises.

Following up: much to our relief, last night, father presented DH with a check for the full cost of repairs.

DH saw the go-cart. If you place a sheet of paper on the table and hold one end down, pick up the opposite end and twist until it's almost at right-angles, DH said that's how the go-cart's frame is twisted. Amazing that the kid walked away with nothing worse than a scraped elbow!

I'm glad they did the right thing & I hope that the go-cart does NOT get replaced.

That has to restore your faith in mankind. I hope the parents look at that wreckage and know that they were blessed at the outcome. When I was nursing, I took care of a quadraplegic child who wasn't so lucky. I am not a fan of putting children in control of motors just for the fun of it. It makes me an old fogey, I guess.