I hate having neighbors

[footballmouse]

My neighbor behind me came over about 6 wks ago saying one of my kids hit her back windows with bb's. She could never tell me which boy she saw but I figured it probably was one of mine since it obviously came from our back yard so I told her I would pay to have them fixed. About 4 wks ago I started leaving notes in her mailbox since she's never home that I need her name, phone # & address so the window company can come over to measure her windows. No response. Last night she comes over & gives me a bill for $450 for the windows. I asked her where the other estimates were, didn't get any. My husband installed all our windows so he could have put them in & saved us on installation. Then she stood on my porch waiting for me to hand her $450. Told her she was going to have to wait until I get to the bank and I'm pissed that she didn't get other estimates since I was paying for the windows. Now is when I wished we lived in the country vs suburbs.

 

[lovesmurfs]

I would have asked to see the damage (and conferred with the kids) -- that seems a bit exorbitant. My son hit our windows with the plastic BBs and never broke one, and that was from a closer distance.

 

[MagicalMawMaw]

Some folks just aren't ever happy & they take their misery out on others.

Your neighbor sounds like mine. We share a gravel driveway out in the country..we just have an easement. He has built 3 Huge speedbumps...calls them bumps to make the water run off & has 9 mile an hour signs posted. Also posted private property signs & no transpassing signs.

I dream of the day we own our own driveway!

 

[footballmouse]

My husband did go check them out and said there was a bb hole in 3 windows. I was just mad that she didn't let me get the estimates and she took it upon herself to do it when she know I was trying to take care of it.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I would ask for some more estimates, and ask to be present. If you are paying you still have a right to see the damaged area. I would not hand anyone money like that with out having seen the area and a few more estimates.

 

[Tuffcookie]

It is the neighbor's right to hire who she wants to repair/replace the windows. It shouldn't be her concern to try to save you a few bucks if your kids did shoot out her windows.

TC

 

[mad madam mim78]

I understand your frustration. I really do. I would try to not get too mad at your neighbors because they didn't ask for their windows to be shot at and they probably just wanted to get them fixed with a reputable company they have worked with and get the particular windows they wanted to replace the broken ones. I don't think it's fair to say..."Well we could have had ole Jim Bob put in some budget windows for $250." I would count my lucky stars it was only $450 and not some crazy Pella or Anderson windows or a stained glass window.

I would be taking this opportunity to make the kids pull weeds, wash cars, clean the house and remove the bb gun from their posession. It's a bitter pill to take but it could have been much worse.

 

[DVCLiz]

It is the neighbor's right to hire who she wants to repair/replace the windows. It shouldn't be her concern to try to save you a few bucks if your kids did shoot out her windows.

TC

Absolutely. Your issue should be, "Why are my kids so out of control that they think it's OK to aim a BB gun at someone's window?" I'd be furious if I were the neighbor and I'd do exactly as I pleased about the repairs and charge you for it happily.

 

[footballmouse]

I know she didn't ask to have her window hit and I know I have to pay for it but I feel I should have seen the estimates since I'm paying for it.

 

[badblackpug]

It is the neighbor's right to hire who she wants to repair/replace the windows. It shouldn't be her concern to try to save you a few bucks if your kids did shoot out her windows.

TC

I understand your frustration. I really do. I would try to not get too mad at your neighbors because they didn't ask for their windows to be shot at and they probably just wanted to get them fixed with a reputable company they have worked with and get the particular windows they wanted to replace the broken ones. I don't think it's fair to say..."Well we could have had ole Jim Bob put in some budget windows for $250." I would count my lucky stars it was only $450 and not some crazy Pella or Anderson windows or a stained glass window.

I would be taking this opportunity to make the kids pull weeds, wash cars, clean the house and remove the bb gun from their posession. It's a bitter pill to take but it could have been much worse.

Actually, this is correct.

Yes, she probably should have gotten more than one estimate out of courtesy, but she does have the right to choose a reputable, authorized contractor.

I do have the "crazy" Pella windows, and believe me, if something like that were to happen an authorized Pella dealer would be replacing them.

 

[Mariep26]

I think the neighbor could have been courteous and told you that she was going to take care of it and then would send you the bill. Just ignoring you isn't the right thing to do even if it was within her right to fix the window with her choice of contractors etc..

 

[Janepod]

Absolutely. Your issue should be, "Why are my kids so out of control that they think it's OK to aim a BB gun at someone's window?" I'd be furious if I were the neighbor and I'd do exactly as I pleased about the repairs and charge you for it happily.

Yeah, this. Was she supposed to spend her time visiting two or three or more stores, talking to two or three or more installers? Wasting her time and stretching out the amount of time she has to live with a broken window? The heck with that. Pay it and be grateful she didn't call the police.

 

[mad madam mim78]

Actually, this is correct.

Yes, she probably should have gotten more than one estimate out of courtesy, but she does have the right to choose a reputable, authorized contractor.

I do have the "crazy" Pella windows, and believe me, if something like that were to happen an authorized Pella dealer would be replacing them.

Exactly

 

[Pakey]

I think $450 for 3 windows is a steal. Also, there's no way I would have bothered with 3 estimates or allowed an unauthorized person to install the windows.

 

[Hannathy]

It is the neighbor's right to hire who she wants to repair/replace the windows. It shouldn't be her concern to try to save you a few bucks if your kids did shoot out her windows.

TC

Exactly! She is under no obligation to get estimates. Why should she go to all that bother.

I'm not sure why you didn't go over the instant she said there was damage. That is when I would have walked over and looked, the minute she came and told me.

 

[bethy]

$450 sounds very reasonable to me for one window, let along THREE. I would be extremely upset if BB's were shot anywhere near my property. I'd be worried about being injured. IMHO BB guns do belong out in the country and not in a highly populated neighborhood.

I don't think it's at all reasonable to expect her to have your DH (or any non-professional who is not licensed and bonded) fix her windows. It's fine for your own house but would never make sense for someone else's.

I just paid $1500 to have a leaky pipe repaired. Sometimes being a homeowner is a bummer.

I think having the kids work to pay for some or all of it is an EXCELLENT idea.

All that said - yes - I would expect to see the damage first.

 

[MarineVet]

I live in a subdivision. When we moved in 7 years ago, there were lots of young families with preteen kids, including one across the street and two houses down. These twin boys are wild, indulged and have no boundries. When neighbors try to talk to their father, he says "boys will be boys".

The boys (now almost 18) have a bb gun and two air pistols. Many vehicles in the neighborhood bear the tell tale little round holes in their doors, ours included as well as our vinyl siding. One day I was outside getting the mail and these boys stood in their yard and shot at me and my house with me looking right at them, about 50 yards away. I gathered some up and called the local sherriff's office. The deputy arrived 45 mintues later and they had already gotten into their car and left, presumably to buy more pellets, so he refused to go to their house even though their dad was home; instead, he said he had dealt with all of them before and they were "all idiots". The deputy told me we live in a rural area and its legal to shoot in your own yard, and since he did not see them do it and they were minors at the time, he would "make a report" and he left. Their dad's response was a mixture of "prove it" and "so what".

 

[msjprincess]

Seriously? One of your kids was shooting a BB gun in the yard and hit someone's house and you're complaining that she didn't run all over town getting estimates for you?

 

[izzy]

If me or one of my brothers had done this, my Mom would have made us find odd jobs and paid her back the $450. After our grounding was over, of course!

 

[StephMK]

I think $450 for 3 windows is a steal. Also, there's no way I would have bothered with 3 estimates or allowed an unauthorized person to install the windows.

Agreed, that is a great price. If I were her, I wouldn't want them installed by a non-contractor either. Plus maybe she knew of a company already.

I would be more upset at the boys and how they managed to shoot 3 windows - unless you are talking 3 panes in the same window? I don't know how old they are but they should be more careful and pay off the damage.