"Potential tenant" busted bumper on driveway...legal issue.

ElscottHavoc

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The driveway on a rental house I own slopes up from the road quite a bit, but is plenty of clearance for your typical car, but is obviously problematic for lowered sports cars and such. My Pontiac GTP clear fine and its lowered 2".

Anyways, 2 weeks ago I had a guy come visit to see the place and pull up into the driveway with his lowered Honda CRX. He liked the place, grabbed an application and left. All of a sudden, I hear this loud pop and run out to see his front bumper laying on the driveway...he was pissed but said he'd just reattach it. It was already scrapped and beat up prior the incident.

Apparently, his shocks are cut so short or something, the chin of the front fascia got caught on the dip in the concrete and snapped off. Since then, some other tenants moved in. They have an Oldsmobile Alero, no issues, his car was just unreasonably low.

But then, this morning I receive a voicemail but from the earlier guy (not current tenants) requesting $500 to fix his bumper since it was my (shared with neighboring landlord) driveway and that my driveway should be sufficient to passenger cars since its "commercial". Of course, I'm not going to make any decision without estimates, but I don't even think I'm responsible.

I don't really want to get my insurance involved, but I hardly think I'm responsible for his incompetence to see the driveway was too steep for his car.

Thoughts?

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Torch10th

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His choice to lower the car created the issue. Pull out your local statutes for road-going vehicles and show him what the minimum ride height statute says and ask him if he'd like to fight you in court.

EDIT: I did a quick search and it looks like Iowa allows suspension modifications without minimum requirements.

Regardless, the premise is still sound. He knowingly modified his vehicle in a manor that causes ground clearance issues. It's his responsibility as the operator of that vehicle to maneuver it in a way that does not cause destruction to his or other's property. Unless this guy has a judge in his back pocket, I'd tell him to pound sand.
 
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Coiled03

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His choice to lower the car created the issue. Pull out your local statutes for road-going vehicles and show him what the minimum ride height statute says and ask him if he'd like to fight you in court.

/thread
 

ElscottHavoc

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This is what I figured, but its such an odd situation - hell if I know who was responsible. My fear was that maybe they could argue the slope of my driveway is unreasonable.

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Fuzzy Logic

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i was gonna say, it was his choice to lower his car.. he's blaming you for damages? kick rocks.

svt got this before i replied though. :)
 

wht93gted

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Yeah you aren't even close to responsible. I mean, if the driveway was deficient and you didn't maintain it is one thing, but it's not. His vehicle is the reason for damage.
Don't even respond to him, at all. I wouldn't even say no, I would just ignore it.
 

Sirraf

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I would call him back and leave a voice mail with uncontrollable laughter for about 30-40 seconds.

captain-insano-o.gif
 
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SoBlue4.6

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He knew the situation. He knew heading into that driveway it might not be the best idea to risk it knowing how low his car is with his suspension modifications. He tried it anyway and failed. Not your fault.



Tell him to eat it and learn to drive his own modified car without destroying it, like most of the rest of us have.
 

ElscottHavoc

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Now that I've asked this I feel dumb and as though its laughable. In hindsight its sort of funny, but definetly not something I knew the legality of. I expect I'll probably end up in small claims court in time over this...if he can afford the filing fee.

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Blackoyote

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Go out to your driveway and look for where his car scraped the concrete/asphalt. Call him and leave a voicemail saying you expect him to come and repair the small chunks of your driveway that his negligence caused.
 

oldmodman

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Just send him a tweet.

NO!

Then tell him that the driveway is owned by the city and go call them.
It is here in Los Angeles. But the home owner has to pay for it if you want to enlarge it or make the slope less.:mj:
 

MovingZen

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Text him a picture of whatever car he has at stock ride height. Tell him you'll see him in court if he's that stupid.
 

Steve@TF

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Now that I've asked this I feel dumb and as though its laughable. In hindsight its sort of funny, but definetly not something I knew the legality of. I expect I'll probably end up in small claims court in time over this...if he can afford the filing fee.

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Lmao at this dummy. Just ignore him. If he calls his insurance company, if he even has insurance, they'll lol at him too. If he were dimb enought to take you to small claims court the judge will lol at him as well and probably tear him a new one judge judy style!
 

thomas91169

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Tell him to go pound sand. It wont hold up in court. He lowered his little rice bucket to the point which it inflicts on his ability to transverse standard driveways. Its his fault.
 

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