Punks trespass, property damage, cops want help getting abandoned jeep, need advice

[RobertBrown]

and leaking transmission fluid.


Don't fail to take this issue seriously. Once the jeep is gone, what remains unseen is going to be your problem. The owner should have to hire an environmental engineer to evaluate and mitigate this issue.
This toxin is on it's way the water table as we speak, it may or may have significant impact.
Where is the jeep in proximity to the well or any ground water?

 

[ruffdog]

Update: The mom of the 21 year old and the moms boyfriend showed up to look at the damage. They said the son told them that he was on the highway and junk fell off a trailer so he drove off the road to avoid it. They put on a big show of how mad at the son they were. They said he had insurance because "they wouldn't let him drive without it". The boyfriend has big plans and promises of cleaning up everything and getting the jeep out of there with the help of the son which is 21 years old.

They failed to mention that the driver had been busted 4 times for not having insurance, and has a DUI court date coming up.

My only fear is my parents will be SUCKERED into believing this BS.........it is really hard having older parents that are so quick to believe strangers.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Don't touch the vehicle.
Photograph all damages and get estimates of costs.
Also, begin tallying storage charges for the vehicle. Every day it remains on your property, charge them $80 (that's what the garages charge insurance companies for just storing a wreck on their property here in New Hampshire.) Even if they don't pay, you can deduct those unpaid fees from your income as business losses.

 

[wedge40]

I'd get a backhoe in there and dig a huge hole and push the jeep in. Then fill the hole in.

Wedge

 

[MrWhippy]

If that Jeep leaves the property, your chances of getting a dime for repairs drops precipitously. I would want to talk directly with the insurance company. I would present them with a bill for damages (estimates etc). Only when I got a written confirmation from the insurance company, would I allow removal.

A towing company damaged our truck when he backed into the front end by mistake. My son did not get his insurance information and long story short, we had to use OUR insurance to cover the damage. Then our insurance company went after the towing company (who refused to give us his insurance information--VA police would not get involved other than give us a copy of their report). My understanding is our insurance company eventually put a lien against the towing company.

 

[dave1949]

Are you talking about auto insurance or homeowners?

If in this case the driver was just being stupid and tearing up someone's land, the property owner's insurance would probably cover it under vandalism and then pursue the driver's insurance for compensation.

The vehicle auto ins.

 

[MacLawn]

Whew ruff, ye've had a ruff time. I think ye should be with ye parents every time this mess is discussed with anyone else. Hoping it turns out good for y'all, and RUFF for that boy.

 

[Mousefield]

I suspect that if you let the mom’s boyfriend and son take the jeep it will be much harder to get damages from them. Their talk is cheap and doesn’t mean anything. Reading all the posts it looks like no one has to this point, put in writing, that they will cover all damage costs. One thing I would make sure of is NOT to let the boyfriend and son move the jeep, hopefully they don’t try a “midnight” move. I would suggest it only be done by a licenced and insured company. As several others have mentioned, the oil going into your ground could cost tens of thousands to clean up properly, if you don’t have it professionally removed it could negatively affect the property value if it is sold.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Yeah, almost sounds like he knows someone and is getting preferential treatment.

I wouldn't be so quick to pass judgment. Maybe the cops just don't want to get involved. If you have a lot of experience dealing with people you learn that if you involve yourself in other people's problem they become your problems, both sides will think you're favoring the other side and there's no winning. There's two parts to this, a civil part and a criminal part. The civil part is between you and the driver, I can understand if they don't volunteer to get involved. The criminal part is between the driver and the state, I can understand if they don't feel the need to involve you. However, if they were deliberately interfering with you -- say by refusing to provide information to which you are legally entitled, like an arrest report or an accident report -- then I would be suspicious.

As for how to proceed: once something gets to the point where insurance is involved, the most you can hope for is to be made whole. Find out whether insurance is going to pay for this, and if so whose. Then ask the insurance company what they want you to do, and do exactly that and nothing else. There is absolutely zero upside to you in doing anything other than what the insurance company wants.

If no insurance company accepts responsibility, the only avenue is suing the driver. There is an adage in the law that there is nothing worse than being completely blameless in a lawsuit, you've got nothing to win. Expect when all is said and done in the best case to recover half of your loss. That's assuming the driver can pay and you win the case. Proving your damages will be an important part of your case, so don't do anything until you've talked with a lawyer and do everything he tells you to do and nothing he doesn't tell you to do.

 

[s219]

Update: The mom of the 21 year old and the moms boyfriend showed up to look at the damage. They said the son told them that he was on the highway and junk fell off a trailer so he drove off the road to avoid it. They put on a big show of how mad at the son they were. They said he had insurance because "they wouldn't let him drive without it". The boyfriend has big plans and promises of cleaning up everything and getting the jeep out of there with the help of the son which is 21 years old.

They failed to mention that the driver had been busted 4 times for not having insurance, and has a DUI court date coming up.

My only fear is my parents will be SUCKERED into believing this BS.........it is really hard having older parents that are so quick to believe strangers.

I bet they get the jeep out of there and never follow up. I'd fence that thing in until everything else is taken care of.