Long story short: my new elderly neighbor backed his GMC Denali into my passanger side front fender; where the head light panel afixes to. It was on private property and the cops can't do anything about it since he won't admit to it. Well the paint on his rear bumper speaks volumes and there is not verbal admittance needed in my book. None the less, I need to temporarily fix the damages to protect the exposed metal. What is the best way to protect the metal until I can have the repairs made, which will most likely be during the summer. All suggestions on temporary repair and types of vigilante justice are much appreciated.

To prevent rusting and keep you till the repair, I would mist it with a light coat of rattle can primer. It may look ugly, but beats surface rust.

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Joe G.
ChicagoChevelle68
Any car past 1972 is just simply transportation, really!

Get a picture of the paint and get your insurance company involved, they have ways to get the damage repaired by the insured's company.

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Leo Paugh
Maryland Chevelle Club #017
A.C.E.S.#3731
progress has little to do with speed, but lots to do with direction.
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Take his butt to small claims court! That's what that venue is for! Don't let him get away with it. If he just moved in and did it once, don't you think it will happen again? Take pictures. Lots of them. Close-ups of the paint will do just fine. I can't stand people who won't take responsibility for their actions!

Just call your insurance company and make a claim. They sure as hell don't want to pay for it so they will investigate the incident and end up getting to your neighbor.

P.S. Hurry up and run over to the neighbors and take pics of your paint on his bumper before he gets it taken care of.

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66 Malibu
67 Chevelle SS (In Progress)
70 Chevelle SS 575hp 454
72 Chevelle ss 350
Assorted Mopars
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Vee haf vays to get eaffen. Many, many vays.

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von '69 300 Dlx SS TC #15 ACES #1575 HSCA #5
My '69 SS (http://mywebpage.netscape.com/jerryacheson/vons69.html)

Pictures. Its all in the pictures. Any witnesses? Say, across the road or something (these can be created for the right price, BTW) http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

So if something happens on private property and the offender doesnt admit it there is nothing that can be done?

Hmmmm, perhaps i'll buy some land and do all my arse whoopings and killings there and just wont admit what I have done? http://www.chevelles.com/forum/confused.gif That doesnt make sense.



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'70 SS 396
4spd, 4.10's and a smile
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Von! You kill me! http://smilies.networkessence.net/s/contrib/blackeye/evil_laughter.gif

Thanks for the advice guys. I was smart enough to get lots of pictures last night and made sure that the old geezer saw me doing so. It has rained here all day so there is surface rust already on the exposed metal. When the rain quits I'll do some sanding and rattle can primer the metal; thanks Chicago. As of now, I have no witnesses. Nearly everyone in my apartment complex attends school and would be out of the accident time window, tho I'll put up flyers to ask and knock on doors tonight.
MM, the whole situation with accidents and private property is new to me, so I don't claim to be an expert. According to the police officer (whom I was very impressed with) if the accident occurs on private property with out witnesses then no action can be made by the police unless the person who commited the crime admits to it. I must admit however, that it sure is a shame that nice cars can get F-ed up when there are no witnesses that saw the crime take place. Kinda makes you wonder what you could do rectify the situation on your own with out witnesses; hmmmm.

I wouldn't sand or put any paint on it. That could hurt your case (tampering with the "evidence"). You could put a coat of wax on the bare metal to prevent rust if you have to. A light coat of surface rust on bare metal for a short time isn't going to hurt anything IMO.

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von '69 300 Dlx SS TC #15 ACES #1575 HSCA #5
My '69 SS (http://mywebpage.netscape.com/jerryacheson/vons69.html)

If he has a pace maker I would just chase him around with the TV remote in a threatening manner or tell him if he doesnt pay your gonna tie him up by the microwave oven and throw in some popcorn.

While the pace maker route is tempting, I was leaning toward a Wyatt Earp type approach. You know, let the geezer think the drama has died off. Then come back and pick him off when noone suspects me. Material possesions aren't everything, but it really pisses me off that I bust my ass and save my money to finance my own project, only to have some careless pecker screw it up.

ok, so if I come over to your place and ram your car and no one spots me, no crime no fowl..... gee i wish I had known that when the 1st wife and I were getting divorced. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

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72 Chevelle and a 70 Chevelle with a crushed roof
ACES # 4051 MCC # 448
TC # 1549 81/70 Cruisers

[This message has been edited by Professor_SS (edited 12-03-2002).]

This stuff of doing nothing because it is on private property sounds like the cops are slackers. If I rammed your house with my car, they would show up and arrest me for DUI. Or if I threw rocks thru your windows it would also get me in trouble. How does hitting a parked car not matter? Got any atorney friends to call, or maybe one of those legal call-in radio programs??

You could do what we do here in Ky. Get the car on a level suface, get 4 jacks, pick the car up, take tires off let it down gently on 4 coke bottles ( we use Ale-8 bottles) The slightest increase in pressure on any bottle and the whole car comes down. Wear gloves, do it in his driveway. After all, it's not wrong if it's on private property....right???


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"Open headers are like farts, they are only cool if they're your own"

1969 Chevelle Malibu
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That cop has got to be wrong, get a second opinion.

My truck was sitting in the driveway a few months ago and was rammed sometime between midnight and 6AM. Pushed it clear across the driveway.
All I knew was that it was a maroon car. The cops came and said that despite it being on private property, the damage was obviously caused by another vehicle (skid marks in the grass) and was a felony for leaving the scene. They had a bunch of charges stacked up, and they sure looked long and hard but never found them. I wish I did...

Brian