How much for knocking over a handicap / visitor sign?

[852VR6]

Yesterday, I went to my gf's place at the Red Haus condos in Royal Oak. I backed into the visitor parking stall (for some reason Royal Oak got dumped a lot of snow), I gave more gas than usual backing up cause tires were slipping a bit (still had my winters on) and accidentally knocked over the handicap / visitor parking sign.

Got a note on my windshield about 1 hour later from the mgmt company saying they witnessed me knocking over the sign. They say I must call them back before 5 pm tmr (Friday) to arrange payment or else they will notify CPS as a "hit and run".

Funny things is there were no one around so unless theres a camera somwhere that I dont know about or maybe they saw the sign down and assumed it was me?

I know its my fault and I'm willing to pay for my mistake

Question is:

1. How much do you guys think they will charge me? And whats a reasonable amount?

2. Will they actually go to CPS if i dont pay?

TIA

[Aerobat]

let them call the cops, what did they have to go out and pick the sign back up?? The police should have better things to do..

[Rat Fink]

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[Sugarphreak]

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[Zero102]

Originally posted by Aerobat
let them call the cops, what did they have to go out and pick the sign back up?? The police should have better things to do..

It is probably a permanently attached sign, and if it was bent or broken they can't just pick it back up

They have every right to go to the CPS about this, you struck something with your vehicle and they can go after your car insurance if they like, although they would need the help of the police to find your insurance information. That risk alone I think makes it worth paying up as your insurance increase would probably be a hell of a lot more than the cost of the sign.

I get that this isn't a popular opinion around here, but don't listen to idiots like this. You did the damage, pay for the sign. I would expect the bill to be somewhere between $50 and $400 depending on exactly what type of sign it was and how it was damaged, you haven't said that so I don't know how anybody could give you an exact number.

[HomespunLobster]

Yeah, just man up and pay it. You caused the damage to another property, snow or no snow.

Call and ask them, see what your options are. At least they were nice enough to leave you a note instead of you just taking off and them calling the cops right away.

[lilmira]

I can't imagine if the post is the heavy duty kind. It's probably those light duty channel type. My guess will be no more than a hundred bucks. Take the sign off the damaged post, get new post, pound it into the ground, put the sign on the new post, done.

If it is the heavy duty post, I would expect some damage on your car too.

[swak]

Legally they don't have to give you the option to save money and fix it yourself.

But regardless, i can't see it being too much probably hundred or so for the sign and another hundred or so for labor.

Just pay it, you fucked up. Now man up.

[FraserB]

Ignoring the right thing to do for the moment, there is really nothing they can do to make him pay unless they have proof. Unless they have a video of him doing it or they personally saw, they are out of luck in regards to proving it. Him simply being parked there and the sign being broken doesn't mean anything.

I would call them up and say that if you are going to be paying anything, you will look at the quotes they provide and determine a course of action after. Might want to go get some pictures of the sign so they don't try and upgrade on your dollar. When it's all done with, make them sign saying that it is fixed and you have no further liability.

If it is the kind of sign I think it it is, channel pole bolted to a plate anchored to the concrete, it should be $100 at most to fix. Simply un-bolt the bent pole, un-bolt the sign. Get new pole and bolt sign on, bolt to anchor. Same goes for a round pole. It's a 30 minute job AT MOST. Especially since this was not even a real or valid handicapped sign.

This call wouldn't be a bad one to record either, just to prove that you did call them before 5PM.

[kenny]

I don't think the police wouldn't do anything about a hit and run though in this case since its on private property.

In any case, probably pretty cheap to get the sign replaced.

[swak]

Originally posted by FraserB
Ignoring the right thing to do for the moment, there is really nothing they can do to make him pay unless they have proof. Unless they have a video of him doing it or they personally saw, they are out of luck in regards to proving it. Him simply being parked there and the sign being broken doesn't mean anything.

Truth.

However, they must have some backing when they picked his truck to be the offender. I doubt they randomly picked a vehicle in the parking lot.

Aside, i just got a summons to go to court being a witness to a similar kind-of scenario.
Pretty pissed that the parties couldn't own up to it and that it needs to go to court, but it is what it is.
That being said, they wouldn't be calling me into court if hard-proof was needed, otherwise this whole thing would be thrown out right away.

[Kloubek]

For those saying "man up" and stuff - I'd just like to point out that he *has* accepted responsibility and has accepted he will pay for it.

[CanmoreOrLess]

They will report it and you will pay. Ask about the damage price and you might be OK with the estimate, these things are often not that expensive.

Cameras or not, you will need to react accordingly.

[e31]

Don't be another deadbeat, just fix the sign out of principle.

Besides this, lazy CPS won't even act even if the witness gave them all your info, and did the background work themselves (open and shut).

[dannie]

I had a similar issue happen to us.

My father and I were fixing up one of the rental properties and had his white ford truck parked in the parking stall that belongs to us. We parked there all day and left at 5.

A couple weeks later, I get a demand letter stating that our red truck had backed into the parking sign that is at the front of the stall and caused damage.

So, I called the management co and said, uh no way. They came back and said they had an eye witness that the red truck was parked there all day and that it had hit the post. It went back and forth as I explained that there was no possible way it was our white truck.

They came back with a charge of.... ready??






$750

It went back and forth and at the end of the day, due to FOIP, they are not required to show us the proof that they have that it was us because it would name the eye witness.

[iblizzard]

I live in the Red Haus condos and the sign being discussed is right in view of my window. It's also directly in view of the main condo administration office and I know they have cameras all around that building and specifically one facing the visitor stalls right there.

Just giving my input. I can't imagine it would be that much to fix.. it's just a small metal post.

[Affinityion]

Originally posted by iblizzard
I live in the Red Haus condos and the sign being discussed is right in view of my window. It's also directly in view of the main condo administration office and I know they have cameras all around that building and specifically one facing the visitor stalls right there.

Just giving my input. I can't imagine it would be that much to fix.. it's just a small metal post.

Beat me to it. Their main admin office is right in that block. They probably saw the whole thing

[lellowrx7]

If he knocked over the sign and caused any damage there must have been paint transfer. I'm sure they could prove it if they really needed to.
If they go with the cops your looking at a hit and run ticket, 6 demerits and a big fine.

[speedog]

$750 - new sign installed at a loaded rate, not an inconceivable price. When I used to work for TELUS doing inside plant engineering, loaded labour rates were always part of an estimate when using contractors.

[FraserB]

Originally posted by speedog
$750 - new sign installed at a loaded rate, not an inconceivable price. When I used to work for TELUS doing inside plant engineering, loaded labour rates were always part of an estimate when using contractors.

He can easily fix it himself, for much, much cheaper.

Heck, I'll even show him how, I installed enough for the city.