Nextdoor's builders totaled my bike - what should I do?

A house is being built on the plot immediately next to mine. Today one of the builders dropped a slate from roof height that landed on my bike (which I'd propped up against on our side of the fence). This has caused a very large dent in the top tube and a smaller dent in the down tube. See picture.

It's a steel frame, but the size and position of the top tube dent makes me wary of using it at all. I think the frame is a write off.

The guy who is building the house has said he doesn't want to claim on insurance. He wants to 'come to an agreement'. He's a nice guy and he says he will pay the full price if I want.

The bike is an On-One Bootzipper (29er). I paid £800 for it in August last year. Only the frame was damaged, so I could just charge him the price for a decent second hand frame, but it's quite a hassle having build a bike up from parts.

I am thinking that I say he should pay me the resale value. Would £400 seem fair? It was in very good condition.

Any advice welcome (and if anyone has an X-large 29er steel frame they want to sell, let me know!).

Thanks

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Frame is definitely a write off! Lucky it was just a bike that the slate hit..

Does On One sell the frame? Could ask for him to buy a new frame and pay for a bike shop to swap the parts over

Tbh I'd show him the receipt and get the full 800 quid.

Absolutely get the full amount.

You won’t be accounting for the time you spend on eBay trawling for a second hand frame, or the time it takes you to build it up.

Either claim for the full bike, or a new frame and the cost of a bike shop stripping the old one and building up the new.

Yep that should cover new frame + rebuild + inconvenience

he doesn't want to claim on insurance. He wants to 'come to an agreement'

Insurance my arse. Get as much as you can.

Get the cost to replace not the second hand cost

Full amount. If he doesn’t agree, full amount through his insurance. Tell him that’s his choice.

That’s a custom made titanium 29er isn’t it?

Are you sure that decimal point is in the right place? I’m sure they were £8,000 new. TBH I’d show Planet X’s site and get him to pay the price they are now £1,100 after all yesterday’s prices aren’t todays prices.

And don't forget the emotional trauma and subsequent therapy fees

I am thinking that I say he should pay me the resale value. Would £400 seem fair? It was in very good condition.

er, no! you're not too blame for this whatsoever so why should you accept anything other than an as new replacement?

Thanks everyone. True it is his choice to claim on insurance or not, and it'll be a hassle building a bike up. It's hard because he's a friendly guy and I've got to know him a bit since the building work started.

Cost of a new frame from planetx is £550. Think I'll ask for £650 to factor in cost have it rebuilt.

TBH, that seems reasonable - whilst I get everyone else saying take them for £x000s, you're the one who has to live next door to them, so I wouldn't go punitive for the sake of it.

Also, assuming it was the builder, shouldn't any claim be made on their professional insurance, rather than his [neighbours] own insurance?

This.

Then shit on his lawn when it gets dark.

Sounds like a good plan to me. If they're being decent about it and as long as they make it right, there's no need to try and gouge them.

Sounds like a fair compromise and you’ve also got a friendly builder working next door to do that little jobs you need as well.

That might be underestimating the rebuild cost? Maybe get a quote (in writing via email or similar) from a good bike shop.

Yeah check how much a shop charges to take the parts off the old and rebuild. £100 sounds ok to me but get a quote, then that plus cost of frame seems totally reasonable to ask of your neighbour.

Thanks for all the comments. Very helpful to hear everyone's views. I think there is something going on with the owner's finances which isn't helping. He put the half built house up for auction last week "sold as seen", though I highly doubt he will be able to sell it. Then the scaffolders came and smashed some of the roof and brick work up. Assume they hadn't been paid. I think he's gone bust. No idea about the insurance. When the work started he was clear that he is fully insured. Maybe he doesn't want to pay the excess.

Building a house for profit is a risk he took, so I probably need to stop feeling too sorry for him. Though won't go as far as taking a shit on his lawn lol.

Though won't go as far as taking a shit on his lawn lol.

That's fair enough. Just hammer frozen sausages into it instead.

Kind of feel like you are being too reasonable here. Guy dropped a heavy object from 20 odd feet and it crashed into your garden. Good job it was your bike it landed on and not like a human being or a pet or something equally squishy and irreplaceable. Maybe the more they have to pay out maybe the more carefully they will think about appropriate health & safety from here. Call it danger money.

Edit: hadn’t seen the post about him being financially fucked, maybe take what you can and call it even

You are going to get stiffed here.

Unless they put actual cash in your hands assume you are part of a long line of creditors.

Get on to your insurers.

I reckon it would be worth getting the name of the builders now, just incase you're relationship with the neighbour turns sour later on. Might give you an extra avenue to persue compensation if your neighbour turns out to be insolvent.

Yeah. You pay your contents insurers to deal with this stuff.