She Asked Her Neighbor for His Insurance Information Three Times After He Drove Over Their Fresh Concrete, and He Called Her Petty Over a Couple of Scratches
A couple spent $9,400 having their entire driveway torn out and replaced. The day after the concrete was poured, their neighbor drove his truck and landscaping trailer straight across the corner, leaving ruts and a crumbled edge behind.
He’s since told them to send the repair quote to his insurance, but he won’t share the information. Now he’s blaming them for not blocking the driveway better, and the couple is debating whether to take him to small claims court.
A $9,400 Driveway
A few weeks ago, the couple had their old driveway completely removed and replaced. The project cost $9,400.
That’s a major home expense for most households. It’s the kind of investment people make expecting it to last decades without major repairs.
Seven Days to Cure
Their contractor gave them clear instructions. Nothing could go on the new concrete for seven days while it cured.
Fresh concrete needs time to harden properly. Heavy weight too soon can crack, dent, or weaken it in ways that are hard to fix later.
Cones and Caution Tape
To protect the driveway, the couple placed orange cones and caution tape across the front. They followed the contractor’s directions exactly.
The setup made it obvious the area was off-limits. Anyone looking at it could tell the concrete was new and still drying.
A Trailer Through the Corner
The day after the pour, the woman was standing at her kitchen window when her neighbor pulled up with his landscaping trailer. He’s always had trouble making the turn into his own driveway with it.
Instead of taking it slow, he cut the corner and drove right through the cones and across the edge of the fresh concrete. Both his truck and the trailer rolled over it.
She ran outside, and he rolled down his window. His only response was that concrete’s tough and it would be fine.
Ruts and a Crumbled Edge
It wasn’t fine. Two ruts now run across the corner of the new driveway.
Where the trailer wheel went over the edge, the concrete crumbled. The damage was right where the driveway was most vulnerable.
A $1,650 Repair Quote
The couple’s contractor came back to look at the damage. He quoted $1,650 to cut out the damaged section and pour it again.
That’s a significant added cost on top of the original $9,400. It’s money they never expected to spend on a driveway that was supposed to be brand new.
Leaving the damage alone isn’t a great option either. Cracks and weak edges can spread over time, which could mean even bigger repair costs down the road.
Insurance Info That Never Comes
When the woman showed her neighbor the quote, he told her to send it to his insurance company. Since then, she’s asked him for his insurance information three times.
He still hasn’t given it to her. The last time she asked, he said she should’ve used something heavier than cones if she didn’t want people driving on it, and accused her of being petty over a couple of scratches.
Twenty Years Next Door
Her husband wants to file in small claims court to recover the $1,650. To him, the neighbor caused the damage and should pay for it.
She’s not so sure. They expect to live next to this neighbor for the next 20 years, and she’s weighing whether suing him is worth the tension it could bring, or whether letting it go means covering a repair bill for damage they did everything right to prevent
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