I need some advice

[Comando489]

So a friend and I get done working out at the gym and it is about 11pm. I pull into his driveway and he gets out and i start to back out. As im looking over my shoulder i turn and go to put it in drive and as soon as i shift the gears i feel a clunk. I thought at first i did something to my gears and thought i was still moving backwards when i put it in drive but that was not the case.

it turns out my friends neighbor likes to park right outside his drive way. It was pitch black and his car is a 1994 geo prism (dark green) and was impossible to see unless you knew it was there. His drivers side rear door gets dented in by my rear bumper (my bumper only has a scratch on it). It turns out that my friends sister has actually hit this car two time before(same situation) and the front fender is all knocked in.

So i go there the next morning and give the guy all my information thinking it will be a $300 or so fix. Well he calls me today and said he got two estimates one for $1000 and one for $800. I CAN NOT AFFORD THIS. Im broke enough as it is and $300 is out of my price range. I can't tell my parents because they will flip out. I just got another job interview on thursday but i probably will not be making any money from that for at least another week or so. I have had to sell so many of my own personal belongings just to start to get some money togeather, like the only things i own.

I don't know what to do. should i try to find a junk yard car and take a door off of that or what! the KBB of the car is only like $1200 in good condition. The guy said he is willing to work with me but i don't know what to say to him. My friend is giving me a name of a really dirt cheap bodyshop that im going to tell the guy to go to.

please helpppppppppp

ahhhh why does this **** always happen to me?

(sorry for the spelling and what not im just not in the mood.)

[deliveryguy]

If he said he would work with you, then work with him. Explain to him how you're a broke student, and offer him a payment plan. If you're local, offer him your time or service. Mowing his lawn once a week might be better than selling all of your assets.

I don't know anything about your parents, but I'm sure they would be much happier to see you dent a geo than get hit by a truck or something. If this guy doesn't cooperate as "completely" as you hope, offer your parents a payment plan or your time/service. The owner of the vehicle may very well contact your parents regardless. Just be level-headed and try to maintain a professional attitude. Is insurance getting involved?

[99mcougar]

try to find something in the junkyard man and take it to that bodyshop to get it painted/hung. do some price shopping, find a cheap door hopefully one in the same color so you don't have to paint. and get a quote from the cheap bodyshop..go for what ever is cheaper

talk to the body guy they usually know the best way to do things

[99mcougar]

also what deliveryguy said

[Comando489]

no insurance is not going to be involved. i don't want to tell my parents because i just got my car fixed from another car crash(not my fault) and they (my mom) like to flip out over everything, and im 19 now and am starting to take responsibility for myself and don't really want to run to my parents for help.

im just going to be so busy with all my exams at the end of the year, two jobs now and having to worry about this.

i just have no clue what to do. im thinking i might as well just offer to buy the car for $800 (because it really is a POS) and then try to sell it for as much as i can.

[99mcougar]

That might work, but at the same time, you might be able to fix it for less then $800, and how are you going to explain to your parents about why you bought a POS with a dented door for $800.. Make some phone calls to local junk yard's and see if you can get a green geo door.. and you can always put it on the car yourself, if it doesn't allign properly take it to a shop.

[Charcoal]

So, did your friends sister ever pay him or anything when she hit his car? I would find out how they dealt with it first before I would give him any money. You may even be able to get someone to talk to the guy for you and kinda "scare" him into thinking it was actually his fault his car got hit. Just get an older person he doesn't know to talk to him and say something like "hey from my understanding it has been a problem you parking here at the end of so and so's driveway and your car has already been hit several times, so I think we should take this a little farther, it is obvious you are looking to gain from your constant neglect of correctly parking your car. I don't believe that so and so owes you any money, if anything it appears to me that maybe you are trying to profit or scam (insurance) people. So now should we contact the authorities or is there no longer a problem and so and so doesn't owe you anything and you start parking correctly?

The right words can go a long way as long as there is a continuous strong voice. Also with all actuality he may be just trying to get some money for nothing. Just a thought for ya

[deliveryguy]

Sometimes being aggressive can help in these situations, but always have some substance to back up your claims. In a lot of places, it's actually illegal to park on the side of the road. Give a call to your local PD and ask them about the logistics behind the situation. Who knows...with a little bit of research you could walk out with a wee scratch.

[99mcougar]

Very ture, and very good advice, it doesn't make much sence if you have a scratch and he has a bent up door, you don't drive a big boat with steel bumpers, its a cougar.. something doesn't quite add up. If he was illigally parked maybe you should be asking him for money to fix your scratch..

[MattyD879]

The real question.. Is a 1994 Geo Prizm worth $800 to $1000 to fix?
This kid obviously must not care about his car if he parks it in the street and the fender is caved in and he hasn't had it fixed.

Look around and see if the local streets in the neighborhood have signs saying you can't park after a certain hour or ask the Po-Pos.

However if he is really insistant on getting it fixed..go to a junkyard.
Then don't even get it painted, it'll be like every other Prizm driving around..

But dude you gotta be careful your car is cursed or something..

Good luck mang!