Who Pays.

[ImLostAgain]

My upstairs neighbour was opening his window and the window handle broke off and smashed my cars windscreen. He informed me immediately.
This building is all rented flats and we are wondering if the landlord is responsible (poor quality window fittings) or if it is him who will have to pay?

[Islay]

Do you have windshield insurance?
If the tenant is happy to pay brilliant - I doubt if you will get anything from either of them - it was an accident.

[halfbound]

The landlord will probably say that there was nothing wrong with the window handle, and your neighbour was too heavy-handed with it. The neighbour will deny that, and say that he used the handle correctly. You will end up going round in circles, I think.

[mikey4444]

Tend to agree with Islay here....its highly unlikely that you will get anywhere with the Landlord. Take any money that your neighbour offers you.

[bhg481]

I think technically that your neighbour should pay your insurance excess and then ask the landlord for it back. The landlord is irrelevant, as far as you are concerned; the neighbour broke your windscreen and he should compensate you.

[ImLostAgain]

He has said he is getting in touch with the landlord but if he gets nowhere with them he says he will pay. He was decent enough to tell me immediately what had happened and we get on well so I'll see how it goes.

[mikey4444]

Let us know what the eventual result is !

[ImLostAgain]

Will do. Thanks for all the answers.

[EDDIE51]

Most insurance policies have free windscreen cover that does not affect your NCB. I would just claim on that ,don't say you know how it was caused, just say you came out to the car and found the windscreen broken.

[Hymie]

If you have fully comp insurance you will normally be covered for windscreen repair with a nominal excess of around £70 – with the additional proviso that the claim will not affect your years of no claims.

Read your insurance docs – if you are covered as above, you can normally arrange the windscreen repair without recourse to your insurer; you pay the £70 excess directly to the windscreen repair firm.

Then ask your neighbour if he will kindly pay the excess.

[Islay]

Hymie that is my understanding its certainly not free!

[ImLostAgain]

Ok. I'm getting Autoglass out tomorrow. I've had a word with my neighbour and told him that the excess is £75. He gave it to me there and then, the nice chap. He's still full of apologies even though it was obviously an accident.

[ummmm]

My insurance covered windscreen FOC.

[halfbound]

There are still some nice people around, it seems! I'm pleased for you, ImLostAgain.