What's fair?

[theracqueteer]

On Sat. July 4th, one of my neighbors set off quite a few fireworks. Sunday morning when I went outside there was a fair amount of fall out in my drive and on my TV. No damage to the TV. I climbed up on the roof of the RV to check it out. I did find some fall out but, no burn marks or holes in the roof that I could see but then again, small pin holes would be difficult to find . We had a good down pour last night so this morning went inside the RV to check for leaks and found no wet spots. I opened up the awnings to let them dry out and noticed about two dozen small (a little larger than pin holes) going from the front to about 3/4 of the way down the 20' awning, parallel to where it attaches to the RV. No holes in the rear awning. I have some flex tape that I could run the length of the awning that would help to keep it from getting worse and keep it from leaking.

I feel he should pay for a new awning since it will now wear prematurely.


I basically have had no relationship with this neighbor, good or bad until now.


What is your opinion for fair restitution?

[CAG]

Too many unanswered questions here.

Are you in a RV park?

Are you parked in a residential neighborhood?

Are there some regulations where you are ?

Have you contacted the neighbor?

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by CAG

Too many unanswered questions here.

Are you in a RV park?

Are you parked in a residential neighborhood?

Are there some regulations where you are ?

Have you contacted the neighbor?

X-2 and pin holes in the roof would not necessarily leak through, but could cause the luan to rot out.

EDIT: Hope you took pics before you cleaned it off..

[theracqueteer]

Originally Posted by CAG

Too many unanswered questions here.

Are you in a RV park?

Are you parked in a residential neighborhood?

Are there some regulations where you are ?

Have you contacted the neighbor?

I am in a residential neighborhood. All aerial fireworks are illegal. I have not made contact yet as he has not been home. I believe he is due home tomorrow.

[theracqueteer]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

X-2 and pin holes in the roof would not necessarily leak through, but could cause the luan to rot out.

EDIT: Hope you took pics before you cleaned it off..

That is what I am worried about. That could take a while to show itself. Then how do you prove cause and claim restitution?

[Rice1951]

What’s fair? Certainly not life.
No apparent damage to the roof but obvious pin holes in the awning.
So can it be claimed under your homeowners policy since it was parked on your residential property? Or does it still fall under your RV insurance? Were other neighbors also shooting off fireworks or was it just the neighbor next door? Do you need to file a report with the local law enforcement? I know, a lot of unanswered questions, but it’s a sticky situation and you will need to decide if the potential cost of a new awning is worth it.
If you approach your neighbor and politely explain what happened he may surprise you and own up to it and offer to reimburse you. That would be the best scenario. He might also tell you to pound sand. That would sour any future relationship and take you down a path you might not want to go. Or it’s possible you could reach some middle ground.
We are all in different situations and have our own opinions so you are going to get a variety of responses. Ultimately only you can decide what to do and you will be the one to live with the consequences of your decision. Best of luck with whatever direction you choose to go.

[jbrnigan]

FWIW......All though I don't know what might have caused the "pin holes" you noticed, I don't think it's likely they were caused by the fireworks. Burning "embers" from fireworks landing on your awning, hot enough to "burn / melt" through the fabric /vinyl, would have left noticeable burn marks on other surfaces than your awning. (I've had campfire embers land on both fabric and vinyl awnings with no damage)

[EA37TS]

His word against yours is going to come into play. If there is no way to prove with certainty (evidence) that the fireworks caused the damage you may do more harm in neighborhood relations than you gain from the confrontation. Those pin holes could have been caused by low hanging branches in campgrounds or along the road.

Also, you mention it happening in a residential neighborhood. What is the zoning in that area and does it allow parking RVs overnight? A lot of residential areas have restrictions and you could open yourself up to more problems than you anticipate.

[mokurt]

Did you actually see the "fallout" landing on your RV from your neighbors illegal fireworks?
If so that would have been the time to confront them.

Sounds like talking to them after the fact may create a problem.