I hate having neighbors

[luvsJack]

The woman didn't go through insurance, so what would happen with insurance doesn't matter.

She went straight to the source.

My point is that its not all that unusual for there to be a need for estimates.

I don't think that the OP was too out there for asking for estimates. I do think that if she wanted them, it should have been from the places the woman wanted to go to, not the OP's choice.

It doesn't sound like the amount was too much or that the woman tried to take advantage, but she could have. If she had suddenly decided she needed extremely high dollar windows to "replace" cheap windows, would you still agree that the OP should just "pay it and feel lucky"?

 

[Elmo9607]

I agree. I also don't understand why she needed the neighbor to tell her the address. Couldn't she figure that out when she went to her house?

I was wondering if anyone would catch that! Seriously, you need your NEIGHBORS address?

 

[luvmy3]

I was wondering if anyone would catch that! Seriously, you need your NEIGHBORS address?

I live in a subdivision and I would need the neighbor's behind me address. I know the street but I would have no idea what their house number is. I don't find it unusual for the OP to need it.

 

[msjprincess]

I live in a subdivision and I would need the neighbor's behind me address. I know the street but I would have no idea what their house number is. I don't find it unusual for the OP to need it.

You don't have house numbers on houses or mailboxes in your subdivision? She says that she went to the neighbor's house several times to leave notes. Unless none of the houses have addresses I would think she could figure it out.

 

[LisaR]

I live in a subdivision and I would need the neighbor's behind me address. I know the street but I would have no idea what their house number is. I don't find it unusual for the OP to need it.

I don't know the house numbers for any of my neighbors either, but I could easily walk outside and look on their mail box or near their front door, and figure it out.

 

[dakcp2001]

I think a reasonable person with average intelligence could figure out their neighbors address if they needed to in less than 5 minutes, with little to no hassle.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Each and every house on my street has a big number on the house. I guess it is different in other areas of the country though. In my area, numbers are on houses unless very rural then they are on the mailbox.

OP said they are in a suburban area so I would have assumed number on the house. I try to keep my personal information off the internet, but if you google my address you get my name from the closing. The same for every single person on our street. Now my phone number is unlisted, but you could get the address and our names for a start.

 

[SaraJayne]

My point is that its not all that unusual for there to be a need for estimates.

I don't think that the OP was too out there for asking for estimates. I do think that if she wanted them, it should have been from the places the woman wanted to go to, not the OP's choice.

It doesn't sound like the amount was too much or that the woman tried to take advantage, but she could have. If she had suddenly decided she needed extremely high dollar windows to "replace" cheap windows, would you still agree that the OP should just "pay it and feel lucky"?

It is the OP's responsibility to replace the neighbors window with what she currently has or better. It is not the neighbor's responsibility to meet any of the OP's demands (getting estimates, having her DH do the installation (seriously? )), when her children are the cause of the problem in the first place.

The neighbor did the right thing by having the work done and handing over the bill (which we still don't know if the OP ever paid it or not).

 

[luvsJack]

The op didn't make demands she was trying to get the work done. She didn't say that she told the neighbor her husband had to do the work, she just considered it. And no she would not have to provide "better" only equal. Better would come in if equal was not possiblle.

 

[badblackpug]

Here are my thoughts:

The OP, for some reason, must have been certain that her kids were responsible for the damage because she immediately agreed to pay for the repairs.

I don't care what, if any consequences, the Op's kids suffered. They are her kids, and her problem.

If there is a hole in your window that was caused when a BB was shot through it, the window has been "shot out." I don't care if it is a hole the size of the BB or if the whole window was shattered, I am not living with holes in my window even if the damage is minimal. Especially if me or mine didn't cause the damage.

I have a very hard time believing that 3 broken windows were an "accident." one? yes, after that, not so much.

These children need more supervision when using these BB guns.

The OP is VERY, VERY lucky the only thing that was damaged was windows. Had her children shot the neighbor, or the neighbor's pet, or dog forbid one of the neighbor's children, this would be a VASTLY different situation.

It would have been nice had the neighbor gotten more estimates, but she was under no obligation to do so. The neighbor was also under no obligation to allow the OP to get estimates.

The neighbor is perfectly within her right to choose a licensed, bonded contractor who is knowledgeable about the type of windows being fixed.

The neighbor has the right to have her windows replaced with windows of the same quality as the rest of her house. She should not settle for cheap, contractor grade windows to save the OP a buck.

Again, I do have the "crazy" Pella windows. I can't even find a price to replace the glass on the internet. It seems the only way you can get an estimate is to have a Pella authorized contractor come to the house. I think, all things considered, the OP got off very cheaply at $450.

 

[luvmy3]

You don't have house numbers on houses or mailboxes in your subdivision? She says that she went to the neighbor's house several times to leave notes. Unless none of the houses have addresses I would think she could figure it out.

I don't know the house numbers for any of my neighbors either, but I could easily walk outside and look on their mail box or near their front door, and figure it out.

I don't pay attention to what everyone has on their house or mailbox, but when I got my new mailbox I didn't like the numbers that came with it so for awhile I didn't have numbers on my house or on mailbox.
Also, my subdivision has wooded lots that are "numbered" so the house before mine is not the number before mine since we are seperated by woods.

My point was its not unusual for a neighbor to not know the address of their neighbors, that is all. I don't know why the OP couldn't or can't

 

[maxiesmom]

I have a very hard time believing that 3 broken windows were an "accident." one? yes, after that, not so much.

These children need more supervision when using these BB guns.

The OP is VERY, VERY lucky the only thing that was damaged was windows. Had her children shot the neighbor, or the neighbor's pet, or dog forbid one of the neighbor's children, this would be a VASTLY different situation.

I agree with the whole post, but especially this part! The OP needs to realize how amazingly lucky she is that no one was hurt! And I hope she has taken those bb guns and thrown them in the trash, because her kids have proven they are not responsible enough to be using them.

 

[Disney Doll]

Here are my thoughts:

The OP, for some reason, must have been certain that her kids were responsible for the damage because she immediately agreed to pay for the repairs.

I don't care what, if any consequences, the Op's kids suffered. They are her kids, and her problem.

If there is a hole in your window that was caused when a BB was shot through it, the window has been "shot out." I don't care if it is a hole the size of the BB or if the whole window was shattered, I am not living with holes in my window even if the damage is minimal. Especially if me or mine didn't cause the damage.

I have a very hard time believing that 3 broken windows were an "accident." one? yes, after that, not so much.

These children need more supervision when using these BB guns.

The OP is VERY, VERY lucky the only thing that was damaged was windows. Had her children shot the neighbor, or the neighbor's pet, or dog forbid one of the neighbor's children, this would be a VASTLY different situation.

It would have been nice had the neighbor gotten more estimates, but she was under no obligation to do so. The neighbor was also under no obligation to allow the OP to get estimates.

The neighbor is perfectly within her right to choose a licensed, bonded contractor who is knowledgeable about the type of windows being fixed.

The neighbor has the right to have her windows replaced with windows of the same quality as the rest of her house. She should not settle for cheap, contractor grade windows to save the OP a buck.

Again, I do have the "crazy" Pella windows. I can't even find a price to replace the glass on the internet. It seems the only way you can get an estimate is to have a Pella authorized contractor come to the house. I think, all things considered, the OP got off very cheaply at $450.

I agree with this post entirely.

 

[DawnM]

Are there ordinances against firing BB guns in neighborhoods? There are here and we have 2.5 acres and a 5 acre field behind us!

3 windows shot out! Yeah, that is excessive and I would be calling the police first, not calling for estimates. I would make SURE no more BB guns were fired near my children or my pets.

You got off lucky IMO.

 

[Shannon G]

First the OP said this...

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.

Then she said...

All she had to do is CALL a couple of other window companies like I did. I gave them the measurements and guess what, they gave me an estimate. It took a total of 15 minutes to call 2 places. It was an accident, not like my kids were going around shooting people's windows. The glass wasn't shattered so it wasn' like she didn't have windows in her house. I offered so pay for it, I was going to set up the companies coming over to INSTALL THEM. I asked for some info to get things started and she ignores me but then can come over to hand me a bill. Would you be pissed, yes you would.

From what she has written, she never asked the neighbor to get estimates first. If my neighbor's child damaged my house, I don't think I would respond to notes saying they needed information to send a contractor of their choice to my house either. Frankly, I'd think they were a little nuts for assuming that they could do that. I would either ask for their homeowner's insurance information (which is going to cost them a heck of a lot more than $450 in the long run) or I would have done as she did - get the repairs done and then give the neighbor the bill. I also find it interesting that in her original complaint, she ranted that her husband could have done the installation in order to save money, but then in the second post said she was trying to set up a company to come over and install the windows. Which is it?

For those who have focused on how long it took the neighbor to present the bill, I'd point out that the OP started leaving notes for the neighbor two weeks after the incident. Perhpas in that 2 week period the neighbor had already made the arrangements and was simply waiting for the work to be completed. It wouldn't be at all unusual to have to order the windows and then wait a few weeks for them to come in before the actual work to be done.

 

[DawnM]

And I will add that I would never have allowed a neighbor who is not a contractor to come and install windows in my home. I have no idea what kind of work he can/can't do or how well the job will be done.

Dawn

First the OP said this...



Then she said...



From what she has written, she never asked the neighbor to get estimates first. If my neighbor's child damaged my house, I don't think I would respond to notes saying they needed information to send a contractor of their choice to my house either. Frankly, I'd think they were a little nuts for assuming that they could do that. I would either ask for their homeowner's insurance information (which is going to cost them a heck of a lot more than $450 in the long run) or I would have done as she did - get the repairs done and then give the neighbor the bill. I also find it interesting that in her original complaint, she ranted that her husband could have done the installation in order to save money, but then in the second post said she was trying to set up a company to come over and install the windows. Which is it?

For those who have focused on how long it took the neighbor to present the bill, I'd point out that the OP started leaving notes for the neighbor two weeks after the incident. Perhpas in that 2 week period the neighbor had already made the arrangements and was simply waiting for the work to be completed. It wouldn't be at all unusual to have to order the windows and then wait a few weeks for them to come in before the actual work to be done.