Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

[jigngrub]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

I'd say your cover was toast anyway if that little rock put a 4' rip in it.

Have the neighbor Dad kick in $50 on a new cover.

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

I could bounce a rock that size off my 4 year old cover like a trampoline. I think your cover was probably about ready to tear anyway. Especially with "monsoons". I would try to get the guy to pay for a portion of it and move on. It is your boat, so buy a new cover yourself. Not worth the $300 to lose your interior. Then go after him for maybe $100. Tell him it is no differant than if you had thrown that same rock through his window. You would be responsible for fixing it.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

Thanks for the replies guys, lots of good ideas.

The rock has a sharp edge on the back side, so... I completely agree that the cover has age on it, but it was still 100% functional. Most of the rip was caused by wind as there was a lot frayed material and loose threads hanging.

That is my understanding of how judges, warranty companies, and insurance companies establish value.

But we are not talking about a judge, a warranty company or an insurance company. I'm not going to small claims court over $300 and all of my insurance deductibles are over $300, so I don't see how this comes into play. I don't know, maybe I'm a bit different. Anytime I've had to replace something because "we" broke it, I didn't dicker over how old it was or how much value was left in the item, I just replaced it.

- My kid broke a bathroom fixture, so I should have asked how old it was so I didn't pay the entire amount?
- I broke a boat seat, so I should have asked them how old the boat seat was so I didn't have to pay the entire amount?
- I broke a saw that I borrowed, so I should have asked how old the saw was so I didn't have to pay the entire amount?

Heck, no! I went out and did what was right to put them back in the same position before the accident. Sure they probably got some more life out of the item, but so what? If "we" didn't break it, it wouldn't have needed to be replaced in the first place.


I do like the idea of having the kid work it off, but I try to keep a far distance from that family. They have created a lot of issues in the neighborhood and they are not a "good neighbor" by any stretch of the term. It's just not me as I've talked to other neighbors who share the same view.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

I'd say your cover was toast anyway if that little rock put a 4' rip in it.

Have the neighbor Dad kick in $50 on a new cover.

I agree that this is fair for everyone.

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

I think that you have a great opportunity to get this apple farther from the tree. Evidently his dad isn't worth messing with or he would get control of his son rather than letting him get by with the deeds that he does. When you see the kid outside call him over and tell him that you want to help him rather than punish him. Tell him that he needs to work off about 150.00 worth of damage and that you will help him do this. Something his dad won't do. Explain to him that the boat needs cleaned, scrubbed, waxed or whatever. Get him the supplies and show him how to do it. Leave him alone for around 15 minutes but keep an eye on him from a distance. Go back and see what all he has gotten done. Once he is around something like a boat he will take an interest in it. Probably even ask if he can go out with you sometime. If you are fixing something and he is around have him come over to "help". He will learn things that his dad can't/won't teach him and you will become the friend not the enemy. We had a neighbor kid like yours and I was outside doing things all the time and I would see him wandering around and told him to come help me. Turns out he was a pretty good kid but he was just bored because he didn't have anything to do. After that he started working on his bicycles and other stuff. When he got a car then he wanted to know how to fix things on it. He was never a problem in the neighborhood after that. It's worth a try and maybe his old man will come around too once he sees a change in the boy. Of course to satisfy his debt you have to determine an hourly figure and hold him to the hours that he will need to complete but I will bet you that you lose track of the hours once he gets into seeing how things work and the satisfaction of somebody telling and showing him that he is worth something.

Regardless of what you think of the "family" this just might solve your problem and make a difference in this kids life.

And won't you feel good about yourself if it works out as it did in the above post.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

Are you gonna sit back and wonder which of your posessions are next! This child needs to be delt with.

 

[rivermouse]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

Yea .I agree the kid just needs to have some constructive stuff to do. I think it would be swell if you paid for him to go to a nice summer camp. One that lets them do real cool stuff like deep sea fishing and scuba diving and stuff like that.....You would feel better and you would be helping out an unfortunate child. .................................................................................................................................like hell!:facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm:

 

[marcoalza]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

Why don't we all chip in $10 for a new cover AND the privilege of going round there and dealing with Kid & Dad

 

[lncoop]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

Slap some Tear Aid on it and take a chance on fireman's idea. Never know. Might get a new buddy out of it, or you might just set yourself up for more heartache, but it's worth a shot. I've been working with at risk kids for several years now and it's the most simultaneously rewardng and frustrating thing I've ever done (marriage included). Society has some very complex problems, but the more I see the more convinced I become that is absolutely critical that those who are able step in to break the cycle of (insert issue here; poverty, apathy, drugs, alcoholism, etc.) that is largely behind this type of behavior. If not we, who?

 

[lncoop]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

P.S. I also like the idea of having the young man "work it off" as a possible entree into a relationship.

 

[ezbtr]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

Definitely make him work it off, get w/ his dad and agree on lawn mowing, painting the house(??) and any other chores - hopefully it will be a life lesson for him...

 

[lncoop]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

Yea .I agree the kid just needs to have some constructive stuff to do. I think it would be swell if you paid for him to go to a nice summer camp. One that lets them do real cool stuff like deep sea fishing and scuba diving and stuff like that.....You would feel better and you would be helping out an unfortunate child. .................................................................................................................................like hell!:facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::facepalm:

Yeah, you're right. It will be much better to let the kid continue to have only his ne'er do well father influencing his life while he graduates from throwing rocks to cooking meth and knocking up girls so they can have more kids who will grow up without positive male role models and go on to even bigger and better things. Then, we can all sit back and whine some more about our kids today having no respect for anything or anyone and our society going down the tubes.

 

[joewithaboat]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

I agree with folks saying if your cover ripped that easy it needed replacing anyway.

The most important thing here would be teaching the kid consequences...His Father seems of little help to him. Work something out with him that he push mows your yard a couple times or rakes leaves etc.

Maybe he will direct his rock throwing a different direction next time....

 

[Expidia]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

Like you said the 4 foot rip was caused more by the wind then the rock because the cover was so dried out from the sun. Be glad a family member did not lose an eye or worse if one was near your boat at the time!

Report it to the police. Have them tell the parents to keep their kid off your property and let it go . . .

Forget trying to help the kid, not your job. In this day and age trying to be a good samaritan can backfire . And no joke here . . What if while this kid is washing your boat or riding in it with you alone he comes home and said you touched him the wrong way or anything like that???

Then your life is over, you might wind up in court defending yourself and maybe get to be a registered sex offender all for that small rock you have in the picture and a dried out cover!
Just let the whole thing go and go fishing or something

 

[mickjetblue]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

Switch to a tarp for a cover, and forget about it, as best as you can.

Your peace of mind is worth more than anything else to you.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

Switch to a tarp for a cover, and forget about it, as best as you can.

Only if you don't like your boat very much.

Maybe if the OP had some old POS Bayliner or something like that.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

The kid is actually pretty well mannered and I like him. I've had him drop in while I was working on things and he's the "pick of the bunch"... I blame the parents a lot more than the kid as they should have squashed the rock throwing (along with many other things) long ago.

I don't have anything for him to "work off" as there is no lawn to mow, we have the yards rocked and it would takes years worth of weed pulling to work off the damage at 1/2 hour a shot... Nothing much else this kid can do, that I would allow him to do, and expect it to turn out 1/2 way decent. Wax the boat, nope, I envision wax being all over the place except where it's supposed to be (personal experience from my kids). Paint the house, nope, 2 story to dangerous. Wash the vehicles, nope, he's too short. Now, if I had 1/2 an acre of grass out in the back yard that might be an option.

I guess we will see what happens tomorrow as it's going to be the 4th and everyone in the neighborhood will be hanging out and lighting off fireworks, etc. Well, see if the dad say anything about the cover, not holding my breath. I'll be sure to bring it up if he doesn't.

(I told my wife,,, they will probably burn a hole in my tri-hull cover with fireworks tomorrow :facepalm

 

[BonairII]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

I guess we will see what happens tomorrow as it's going to be the 4th and everyone in the neighborhood will be hanging out and lighting off fireworks, etc.

In the meantime, we'll all wait patiently for the "Neighbor kid burned a hole in my already ripped boat cover" thread. :facepalm:

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

Oh no......

My boat has a different cover on it now, for the time being, the cover is from my old tri-hull boat.

So the new thread title would be, Neighbors ripped boat cover, and burned another one (or something to that affect...)

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Neighbor shredded my boat cover...

I hate to say it, but it sounds like your cover was dry rotted. I would be annoyed about the rock, but I don't think that it was the sole source of your problem. I would ask the kid's dad for about a 100 bucks to account for replacement earlier than you might otherwise have done. Given that you probably were all that far away from having to buy a new one anyway, that seems fair to me.