Cop Magnet
Enthusiast
Okay, this is a story in development since the middle of winter. Just got some pictures back, so I thought I'd tell the story as it stands. First off, sorry for the long post. Secondly, please no flames regarding the dust and dirt on my car. I am currently in an apartment situation, and although much less than desirable, I'd rather have the car close to me even when I can't drive it.
I have a great parking spot on the first floor right across from the entryway. Leaves me plenty of room and no one should really be anywhere near me. The only people across from me are the ones parking in the handicap spots. Whenever it snows badly, though, people from the uncovered top floor do tend to park in the handicap spots.
The morning after our last big snow, I came out to find the left rear corner of my car bashed in. The tail-lamp was busted, the rear panel cracked, the bumper cover scraped, and a gouge in the quarter panel. See for yourself:
Hmmm, maybe I should replace those screws by the inner panel vents..
The offender left no note, and the only evidence was a single piece of trim off the other person's car. Looked like a backup lamp housing, but smaller. There is a video camera pointing at the entrance, and I hoped it might show my car and what happened, but unfortunately it didn't. Of course, this was clearly an accident, and probably occured from someone backing out of the handicapped spots. But just in case you're thinking maybe they hit my car and didn't even realize it, take a look at what i found on the back window. I've lived here for three years and no one has ever once messed with my car. To the contrary, everyone seems to look out for it and I always get positive comments. Yes, mods, it's Homer Simpson:
So here's where the story takes a turn for the better. Later that night, after no positive input from the police or the apartment staff, I did a little detective work. I took the little piece of this guy's car around the parking lot with a flashlight, and checked all the rear bumpers of the other cars. Lo and behold, a direct match on the top floor. A black, full-equipped X5 sport. What is this little piece? Ironically enough, it the cover from the friggin park-distance control!
And here's the corresponding damage on his car, matches up exactly to mine.
So I leave this guy a note, and say he hit my car and better call me and the police were already involved. He called me the next morning and initially was very defensive and denied it could have been him. So I tell him we are looking at the video, which does show my car, and that I found the piece of his car there. He then says maybe it was his wife, as she drove that morning. He assures me he is very wealthy, would pay any reasonable amount out of pocket, and would prefer not to have the police or insurance involved at all. He drives the X5 and also has a BMW 6 series convertible.
The snow delays an estimate a little bit, but in the meantime I find out a little more about the guy. Nobody knows what he does, but he seems to have a lot of money. Older guy, and he's divorced (so the wife story was BS as suspected). He's an alcoholic and has had some trouble with the law and the apartment building. I remembered he was passed out in the lobby about a year ago, and I checked on him while an ambulance was on the way. Again, I live in a very nice place, son't let this or the condition of my car fool you. I also remember his BMW 6 was parked in the loading zone for about a week after this, presumably because he was in detox or something. So now it made sense why he wanted to pay cash and not have the police involved. Probably has a few DUI's to boot.
So I get the guy an estimate, $3K, and he agrees to pay right away. Made me feel I should have padded the bill a little. But then he starts stringing me along. He says his lawyer told him to get a copy of the "cancelled" pollice report. He calls me multiple times and says he'll be dropping a check off later that day, but doesn't. I stop by his apt many times without any answer. Finally, he calls me at 4:45 AM one day and says he'll be dropping the check off and just wanted to let me know. I start tearing into the guy, and he apologizes and says he's on his way to the airport and it was the only chance he had to call. Of course, no check later the same day.
So I call him later and get his voicemail. I rip into him and tell him I've been more than patient. His request for a cancelled police report is ridiculous. I am doing him a favor by not calling the police, I don't owe him anything. I tell him the police report will include his plate number and the "video".
He drops a check off the next day, $3K. And yes, it did clear. Then he calls me a few more times telling me he wants to get together and shake hands over this. What a *****. I don't want to become friends with this loser, I just wanted the money he owed me. It's not like I came out ahead on any of it.
So I took my car to Ron's shop in Northbrook. Ron is Zen Garage on this forum. An all-around great guy and total car enthusiast. Autowerk's is the name of the shop, and it looks first-rate. The shop is filled with Ferrari's, high-end BMW's, AMG's, and Bentley's. The paint booth is amazing. They also sell all kinds of aftermarket gear. Ron's owned a few Vipers in his day and is a devoted Club member. It's nice to have someone who knows what they are doing and who you can trust with your baby. I'll post pics of the "after" version of the car as soon as I can. Thanks for reading!
I have a great parking spot on the first floor right across from the entryway. Leaves me plenty of room and no one should really be anywhere near me. The only people across from me are the ones parking in the handicap spots. Whenever it snows badly, though, people from the uncovered top floor do tend to park in the handicap spots.
The morning after our last big snow, I came out to find the left rear corner of my car bashed in. The tail-lamp was busted, the rear panel cracked, the bumper cover scraped, and a gouge in the quarter panel. See for yourself:
You must be registered for see images
Hmmm, maybe I should replace those screws by the inner panel vents..
You must be registered for see images
The offender left no note, and the only evidence was a single piece of trim off the other person's car. Looked like a backup lamp housing, but smaller. There is a video camera pointing at the entrance, and I hoped it might show my car and what happened, but unfortunately it didn't. Of course, this was clearly an accident, and probably occured from someone backing out of the handicapped spots. But just in case you're thinking maybe they hit my car and didn't even realize it, take a look at what i found on the back window. I've lived here for three years and no one has ever once messed with my car. To the contrary, everyone seems to look out for it and I always get positive comments. Yes, mods, it's Homer Simpson:
You must be registered for see images
So here's where the story takes a turn for the better. Later that night, after no positive input from the police or the apartment staff, I did a little detective work. I took the little piece of this guy's car around the parking lot with a flashlight, and checked all the rear bumpers of the other cars. Lo and behold, a direct match on the top floor. A black, full-equipped X5 sport. What is this little piece? Ironically enough, it the cover from the friggin park-distance control!
You must be registered for see images
And here's the corresponding damage on his car, matches up exactly to mine.
You must be registered for see images
So I leave this guy a note, and say he hit my car and better call me and the police were already involved. He called me the next morning and initially was very defensive and denied it could have been him. So I tell him we are looking at the video, which does show my car, and that I found the piece of his car there. He then says maybe it was his wife, as she drove that morning. He assures me he is very wealthy, would pay any reasonable amount out of pocket, and would prefer not to have the police or insurance involved at all. He drives the X5 and also has a BMW 6 series convertible.
The snow delays an estimate a little bit, but in the meantime I find out a little more about the guy. Nobody knows what he does, but he seems to have a lot of money. Older guy, and he's divorced (so the wife story was BS as suspected). He's an alcoholic and has had some trouble with the law and the apartment building. I remembered he was passed out in the lobby about a year ago, and I checked on him while an ambulance was on the way. Again, I live in a very nice place, son't let this or the condition of my car fool you. I also remember his BMW 6 was parked in the loading zone for about a week after this, presumably because he was in detox or something. So now it made sense why he wanted to pay cash and not have the police involved. Probably has a few DUI's to boot.
So I get the guy an estimate, $3K, and he agrees to pay right away. Made me feel I should have padded the bill a little. But then he starts stringing me along. He says his lawyer told him to get a copy of the "cancelled" pollice report. He calls me multiple times and says he'll be dropping a check off later that day, but doesn't. I stop by his apt many times without any answer. Finally, he calls me at 4:45 AM one day and says he'll be dropping the check off and just wanted to let me know. I start tearing into the guy, and he apologizes and says he's on his way to the airport and it was the only chance he had to call. Of course, no check later the same day.
So I call him later and get his voicemail. I rip into him and tell him I've been more than patient. His request for a cancelled police report is ridiculous. I am doing him a favor by not calling the police, I don't owe him anything. I tell him the police report will include his plate number and the "video".
He drops a check off the next day, $3K. And yes, it did clear. Then he calls me a few more times telling me he wants to get together and shake hands over this. What a *****. I don't want to become friends with this loser, I just wanted the money he owed me. It's not like I came out ahead on any of it.
So I took my car to Ron's shop in Northbrook. Ron is Zen Garage on this forum. An all-around great guy and total car enthusiast. Autowerk's is the name of the shop, and it looks first-rate. The shop is filled with Ferrari's, high-end BMW's, AMG's, and Bentley's. The paint booth is amazing. They also sell all kinds of aftermarket gear. Ron's owned a few Vipers in his day and is a devoted Club member. It's nice to have someone who knows what they are doing and who you can trust with your baby. I'll post pics of the "after" version of the car as soon as I can. Thanks for reading!
