Yard damage from accident

[quincy]

Once again, your time is not compensable.

 

[ricksam83]

Violating someone's rights by unlawfully detaining them longer than is necessary could cause many problems for the police officer and his employer.

Punishment is handed out by a court - not on the side of the road.[/QUOTE

I've never been in trouble... I don't know how any of that works. I just figured he would have been arrested for driving without a license, without insurance and texting while destroying someone's property.

Punishment is handed out by the court.... but can be handed out on the side of the road as well. Otherwise officers wouldn't be able to arrest anyone without approval from the court.[/QUO

No.

The $300 for your labor and a day off from work to justify it is BS and you wouldn't be able to justify it in court.

As for the other items, you obviously don't have a professional estimate for them so you are talking out of your hat.

If I were her, I wouldn't pay it.

Get a professional written estimate for ALL the items, not just talk. It still might come to $1400 (though I don't think so) but it will eliminate any argument that you are gouging her.

Or, you can just ask for $1400 and see how it goes. Be sure to let us know.

Obviously you have no idea how much it costs to hire an excavator and pay for his time. I have the written quote from the landscape company. Everything else look up, you can easily find prices. How can you say it wouldn't cost 1400? I have 100 foot of my culvert ditch tore up and the end of my driveway culvert pipe is smashed in. That crap is not cheap.

Just in your last post you say that my time is compensable. Any labor I do is justifiable regardless of I do it or have it done. Now you call me asking for 300 for my time BS? Which is it? Do you think 300 is to much? Everybody makes different salaries. Some people make 8 bucks an hour, some make 80 an hour, some mske 200 an hour and others even more. To me 300 isn't a lot and is 1 days salary. Heck I'll spend a couple hours just running to different stores checking out the different mailboxs. Then have to get the address letters, 4x4, cement. After that I'll have to go to the other store to pick up my culvert pipe. Or maybe she would rather fork out the $100 delivery fee? I'll be running around for 4 hours before even starting on it. I can have the pipe dropped off for 100 and charge only 200 for my labor then. What's the difference, you said this yourself? If they're going to deliver for 100, why cant I keep the 100 and pick it up myself? We can even go a step further. Why should I have to go to lowes and pick up mail box and 4x4 ppst? I can have them deliver the mailbox for 20 bucks then pay 80 for a lowes delivery truck to drop off a single 4x4 lol. So to deliver the pipe, mailbox, 4x4 would easily cost 200. So now I only have 100 for my labor of installing mailbox and seed. What's the difference in paying to have these delivered or me picking them up and keeping delivery fee?

Since you don't really know how much it costs to hire equipment let me put it in perspectave. When they dug the hole for my house 10 years ago which took a day it was 18,000. I got quotes 6 years ago to dig a small pond in 1 day they ranged from 8,000 to 12,000. Those companies are actual excavating heavy machinery company. Not a little landscape company with a mini excavator. Perhaps I should get a quote from them and give her that 3k quote? By the way, if I did take her to court I would give her the highest price quote I receive, just for the hassle. After all, it's my decision which company I choose... not hers.

 

[ricksam83]

Once again, your time is not compensable.

Once again, in court maybe not. It has not come to that yet. I'm talking more about a personal quote. She asked me and I'll quote her "please let me know how much you think it would be to fix your yard, mailbox and pipe and I'll send you a check"

She said did not say I have to hire it out, she did not say my time was not compensable. She did not say I couldn't do the work. Shes more than welcome to look at the yard herself.

Also, it depends on who you ask. Even the people in this thread have said yes your time is compensable. Then the next post the 300 I'm asking for my time is ridiculous and I would not pay it. She has the option not to pay it to. I'm not forcing her to give me the check. She made the mistake letting her uninsured unlicensed son drive the car which ended up causing property damage because he couldn't wait to send that text. She has the option to pay what I'll request or go to court. Either way they are liable for the damages. If I go to court, not only is her time being waisted on something I'll win... but the cost we I'll be more.

 

[ricksam83]

That's the quote I have to work with. Don't see what's wrong with telling her her the cost. The worst she can say is no. In that case I'll get quotes from actual heavy machinery excavating companies, quotes to hiresome to pick up and install mailbox, spread gravel. Plus not to mention I'll still have to hire a landscaper to smooth out the dirt, plant seed, straw, etc. I feel like I'm under attack in this forum... like I'm at fault. All I'm asking for is for the repairs to get done and 300 bucks for the vacation day I must take to pick up and install the things I need plus supervise. I'd rather use my vacation days to spend time with my family... not picking up supplies. I believe the same guy that told me my quote was ridiculous told me about this lol.

Yes, the court may not award me money for my time. I get that... we've been over that in every post. But I know for a fact that the cost of this will go higher once I call in a full size excavator and crew. I would rather be the one to pick up the mailbox I like... grade the yard the way I think it should be. I'm very particular the way my stuff looks. But if I'm required to hire everything out if it goes to court, you bet I'll be getting quotes from the best. Not just some random Joe to toss grass seed down and walk away. I'll want my seed raked in and netted to keep it from washing away then fertilized like the rest of my yard.

 

[quincy]

That's the quote I have to work with. Don't see what's wrong with telling her her the cost. The worst she can say is no. In that case I'll get quotes from actual heavy machinery excavating companies, quotes to hiresome to pick up and install mailbox, spread gravel. Plus not to mention I'll still have to hire a landscaper to smooth out the dirt, plant seed, straw, etc. I feel like I'm under attack in this forum... like I'm at fault. All I'm asking for is for the repairs to get done and 300 bucks for the vacation day I must take to pick up and install the things I need plus supervise. I'd rather use my vacation days to spend time with my family... not picking up supplies. I believe the same guy that told me my quote was ridiculous told me about this lol.

Yes, the court may not award me money for my time. I get that... we've been over that in every post. But I know for a fact that the cost of this will go higher once I call in a full size excavator and crew. I would rather be the one to pick up the mailbox I like... grade the yard the way I think it should be. I'm very particular the way my stuff looks. But if I'm required to hire everything out if it goes to court, you bet I'll be getting quotes from the best. Not just some random Joe to toss grass seed down and walk away. I'll want my seed raked in and netted to keep it from washing away then fertilized like the rest of my yard.

You have our advice. You are welcome to ignore it.

Good luck.