What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Ga
Is there a cut-and-dry law or ruling which could help solve the following family dispute? It involves a fenderbender on private property.
One family member owns property with two houses on it; these share a driveway. The owner does not live there, but rents one house to my sister and the other to our nephew and our nephew's wife. This sister is our nephew's favorite aunt and all lived in peace and harmony.
The shared driveway, which is Y-shaped, has room for two cars side-by-side on each prong of the Y, as well as gravelled spaces for 4 more cars beside the drive below the fork. There is no need for anyone, including visitors, to park in such a way as to block anyone in. My nephew and his wife park their cars on one end of the fork, my sister on the other.
The wife's mother used to visit the couple almost every day. She liked to park behind one of the couple's cars, but this would block my sister in. My sister asked her numerous times not to park that way, and she eventually began to comply. However, one night she again parked so that my sister was partially blocked. My sister did not realize that there was a visitor next door when she was leaving for the store. There is no light on the driveway and at night it is pitch-black. My sister backed up -- right into the rear fender of the in-law's car.
Sad to say, the incident and aftermath has divided the family. It involves everybody's favorite sister/aunt and everybody's favorite nephew/son's family and has gotten terribly complicated. I can see both sides. My sis had no reason to expect she was blocked in her own driveway, couldn't see the other car, and the visitor knew better than to park there. On the other hand, she hit the car, plain and simple.
My sis thought the fair thing would be to split the repair bill. The in-laws thought otherwise. A huge argument ensued. They presented a bill drawn up by a mechanic friend which we all knew was inflated by nearly double. However, had they contacted her insurance -- which, as a personal favor, they did not do -- they probably could have gotten more. Lots of debate followed.
Eventually apologies were made all round and my sister paid the bill in full. But the mother-in-law no longer is comfortable visiting, which makes the young wife very unhappy. So now the couple are moving away, which makes everyone unhappy. We rarely see them anymore as it is. There is an undercurrent of tension and resentment, with some still blaming my sister and others blaming the in-law.
Can anyone settle this for us? If we knew what was right by the law, I think the matter could be truly settled and forgotten. I realize this situation lends itself to ridicule, but any sincere, law-based advice will be truly appreciated.
Thank you,
Arlee
Is there a cut-and-dry law or ruling which could help solve the following family dispute? It involves a fenderbender on private property.
One family member owns property with two houses on it; these share a driveway. The owner does not live there, but rents one house to my sister and the other to our nephew and our nephew's wife. This sister is our nephew's favorite aunt and all lived in peace and harmony.
The shared driveway, which is Y-shaped, has room for two cars side-by-side on each prong of the Y, as well as gravelled spaces for 4 more cars beside the drive below the fork. There is no need for anyone, including visitors, to park in such a way as to block anyone in. My nephew and his wife park their cars on one end of the fork, my sister on the other.
The wife's mother used to visit the couple almost every day. She liked to park behind one of the couple's cars, but this would block my sister in. My sister asked her numerous times not to park that way, and she eventually began to comply. However, one night she again parked so that my sister was partially blocked. My sister did not realize that there was a visitor next door when she was leaving for the store. There is no light on the driveway and at night it is pitch-black. My sister backed up -- right into the rear fender of the in-law's car.
Sad to say, the incident and aftermath has divided the family. It involves everybody's favorite sister/aunt and everybody's favorite nephew/son's family and has gotten terribly complicated. I can see both sides. My sis had no reason to expect she was blocked in her own driveway, couldn't see the other car, and the visitor knew better than to park there. On the other hand, she hit the car, plain and simple.
My sis thought the fair thing would be to split the repair bill. The in-laws thought otherwise. A huge argument ensued. They presented a bill drawn up by a mechanic friend which we all knew was inflated by nearly double. However, had they contacted her insurance -- which, as a personal favor, they did not do -- they probably could have gotten more. Lots of debate followed.
Eventually apologies were made all round and my sister paid the bill in full. But the mother-in-law no longer is comfortable visiting, which makes the young wife very unhappy. So now the couple are moving away, which makes everyone unhappy. We rarely see them anymore as it is. There is an undercurrent of tension and resentment, with some still blaming my sister and others blaming the in-law.
Can anyone settle this for us? If we knew what was right by the law, I think the matter could be truly settled and forgotten. I realize this situation lends itself to ridicule, but any sincere, law-based advice will be truly appreciated.
Thank you,
Arlee