I hate having neighbors

[Lovin' Disney]

Did I miss it somewhere? Did the OP ever say the kids didn't get in trouble? That the kids didn't have to give up the gun? That she wasn't mad at the kids? That they weren't "working off" the expense?

Oh wait, this is the DIS where unless stated otherwise everyone needs to assume the worst about a poster.

OP, IMO, it would have been nice for the neighbor to get quotes from other repair places, but was that truly an option? Were they custom windows or something that only the installer could repair? While the way she handled it would be frustrating, I don't see it as a "hill to die on".

Actually, it never said that the kids DID get in trouble and gave up the gun. As far as we know, there have been no consequences and the OP is out $450.

 

[FlyingDumbo]

Lol to the title of this thread. I am guessing the OP's neighbors also hate having neighbors. OP please tell us what kind of punishment the boys received, and how old they are so we can all feel a little better about the broken windows. And I agree the guilty party should apologize to the neighbor.

 

[FlyingDumbo]

Wow. So glad that none of your children have ever done anything that is. . . well, like children.

Kids in this country have bb guns. Get over it. Just because you don't like them doesn't mean that someone should not buy their kid one.

It is possible that the kids have something to shoot at and missed and hit the window. Its possible the kids didn't even know that they HAD hit a window. And for all any of you know, she punished her kids. But, where is the proof that it WAS her kids?

and saying the kids are out of control because of something that may have well been an accident is ridiculous.

And what, pray tell me, are the cops going to do? Tell her to pay for the windows, that's it. BB guns are not illegal.


Unless the windows were a brand that can only be bought at one or two places, most brands and types can be purchased by different places and installed by different people. There is nothing wrong with getting more than one estimate. If the homeowner had been paying it, I bet she would have gotten more than one estimate. Just because someone else is footing the bill does not give her the right to pick the more expensive place. (not saying she did, just IF she did)

They cops would handle it as they do any other act of vandalism, which is a crime. BB guns might not be illegal, vandalism with them is.

 

[shortbun]

I see both sides but you said nothing about talking to your children, having them apologize, taking away the BB guns, just said you'd pay. If I were your neighbor, I'd have expected your kids to have arrived with an apology and explanation of how they were earning the money to replace my windows. If you wanted estimates, that should have been discussed immediately while she was at your home AND you should have gone over to look at the damage that day too. She should have responded to your requests in some way BuT, she was within her rights to have them repaired by the company of her choice. There is no reason to expect that she would allow your husband to hang her new windows. A professiional needed to do that because sometimes window hanging can go wrong. Are you REALLY not disciplining your kids over this? I'm not much of a disciplinarian-read lenient-but this would have resulted in immediate action in my house.

 

[Mkrop]

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 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.

No you dont get to see them, you need to accept responsibility for what your kids did and be glad there is not a hospital bill on top of it.

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.

You do not get to decided what materials and who installed them in my house, are you kidding me!!!!! It is not your job to hire the company, it is your job to pay the bill and make your kids apologize.


I am sure your neighbor is hating her neighbors about now too.

 

[usd2bmd]

I think you're lucky she didn't call the police and say your kids vandalized her property because that is what they did.

She could have handled it a lot worse...as stated above or taking you to court.

First I woud take the guns away from your kids then I would make up a list of things for them to do to repay you the $450 for the windows they broke.

 

[sam_gordon]

It would have been nice if the other neighbor hadn't let her kids shoot bb guns if there were not responsible enough to do so. I am guessing this is not the first run in with these kids and this family. What kid shoots out a neighbors windows? 3 of them? 3 is not an accident!

OP please tell us you took away the BB guns and made your kids walk over and apologize to this neighbor. You are lucky she was this nice, I would have called the police.

Actually, it never said that the kids DID get in trouble and gave up the gun. As far as we know, there have been no consequences and the OP is out $450.

Even MORE wonderful DIS assumptions! Just because she didn't mention whether the kids got in trouble doesn't mean they didn't. In all honesty, whether the kids got in trouble or not is immaterial to the question... whether the neighbor was out of bounds by having the work done, not presenting estimates, etc. But that won't stop the judgement of DIS posters.

Taking the stance that OP & her children need to accept responsibility for what they damaged is hardly calling for their heads on pikes, or trying to claim BB guns are illegal. They are capable of inflicting serious injury and/or property damage & should be used with respect. I'm willing to accept this was accidental since no evidence suggests otherwise. The right thing to do is clean up for your mistake and all is good.

Didn't the OP admit she (and therefore her family) were accepting responsibility? Didn't she say she paid for the window work? She's simply complaining about how the neighbor went about getting it done (which I don't agree with that complaint).

 

[wvjules]

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.

Skipping to the end....


So one of YOUR children shoots out THREE of her window and you are the one that's upset?

Corrected.

 

[FlyingDumbo]

Skipping to the end....


So one of YOUR children shoots out TWO of her window and you are the one that's upset?

three windows, actually

 

[luvsJack]

The OP stated that she wished they lived in the country or suburbs. That makes me assume that they live in an area with close neighbors.

I didn't say THE country, I said THIS country (as in the USA). Not meaning disrespect to any other country, just an expression.

She does not live in the Country.

The price was quite reasonable for three windows. Don't forget the hassle the homeowner had to go through. Three broken windows, lining up the work, being available for the work to be done. You can bet if my kid shot multiple times at a neighbor's window, that would have shown me that they are not responsible to have a BB gun at all.

The price may be reasonable, I have no clue. I just think at least two estimates is reasonable to ask for.

We don't know what action the OP took with her kids and their bb guns. I don't think its really fair to slam her about her kids being "out of control" and such.

As for hassle, I give you all of it but the "broken window". My LR window has a bb hole in it right now (no clue where it came from. Dd does not own, nor has she ever shot a bb gun. Neighbor on one side doesn't have kids and the only other have kids too small). Its really not a hassle. It just sits there quietly.

 

[wvjules]

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.

Skipping ahead again...

Seriously the accidentally shot 3 windows? Take the BB guns away from them. Dang lady, they are clearly not responsible with them.

I'd honestly avoid you and your irresposible BB gun shooting kids as well. I'd get my windows fixed and hand you the bill.

 

[Bob NC]

It was an accident, not like my kids were going around shooting people's windows.

When kids get out the bb gun, point it at the neighbors house and shoot out THREE windows, how in the wide world of sports do you call that an accident???????

 

[luvsJack]

They cops would handle it as they do any other act of vandalism, which is a crime. BB guns might not be illegal, vandalism with them is.

Accidents are not vandalism. There is absolutely no proof that this is vandalism.

 

[luvsJack]

When kids get out the bb gun, point it at the neighbors house and shoot out THREE windows, how in the wide world of sports do you call that an accident???????

Oh for the love of all this holy! Have you ever shot a flippin' bb gun? Its not like it had to be these little sharp shooters were laying in the grass shooting the neighbors house! It could easily have been an accident.

And they didn't "shoot out" the windows. BB's make holes in the window, that's it. No shooting out of windows.

To ya'll's way of thinking, I guess I need to find some kind of protection because I have some "gun weilding" crazy kid trying to shoot my family--because I have a bb hole in my front window.

 

[wvjules]

I'm shaking my head at how anyone can defend the kids that shot multiple windows of her neighbor's house, and place blame on the neighbor for getting them fixed, as is her right.

 

[sam_gordon]

When kids get out the bb gun, point it at the neighbors house and shoot out THREE windows, how in the wide world of sports do you call that an accident???????

If the kids were aiming at something else, missed, and the shots went further than the kids thought they would and hit the window. Do you call that intentional?

We have no idea how far the neighbor's house is from the OP's. We have no proof it WAS the OP's kids. Granted, she's admitted it COULD be, but is it possible some OTHER kids in the neighborhood have BB guns?

 

[Bob NC]

Oh for the love of all this holy! Have you ever shot a flippin' bb gun? Its not like it had to be these little sharp shooters were laying in the grass shooting the neighbors house! It could easily have been an accident.

And they didn't "shoot out" the windows. BB's make holes in the window, that's it. No shooting out of windows.

To ya'll's way of thinking, I guess I need to find some kind of protection because I have some "gun weilding" crazy kid trying to shoot my family--because I have a bb hole in my front window.

You may be taking all this a little too seriously, you might want to step back and take a deep breath.

 

[Mrs.Malone]

This summer I accidentally broke a window in our house. Single pane, medium size, nothing fancy or complicated. It cost $200 to have it replaced. And that was lower than the other estimate I got ($225). I think you got a good deal, OP.

 

[usd2bmd]

Point taken. But it would also be appropriate for the neighbor to make a reasonable attempt to keep the cost to a minimum. For example she should not get brand new Anderson windows if there was a reasonable alternative to fix or replace the window. And the OP tried to touch base with the neighbor, but she did not respond.

Why should she have to keep costs to a minimum? If she had Anderson windows she is entitled to be "made whole". (with what she had)

I missed that it was for three windows. How does that happen by accident?

ITA

 

[Bob NC]

If the kids were aiming at something else, missed, and the shots went further than the kids thought they would and hit the window. Do you call that intentional?

As far as I am concerned, if a parent lets their kids fire a bb gun within range of anyone else's house, there ARE no accidents.

In my book an accident is like, "OMG, who would have EVER expected something so outlandish to happen???"

I don't see how you can fire guns towards the neighbors house and ever use the word ACCIDENT.