Legal Question: Test Drive Damage

[velocitas]

Thought I'd post up here in case it's happened anyone before.

I was trying to sell my R8 and the short version of the story is that at the end of the test drive the guy (UK expat) drove into a low curb damaging the radiator. We left on good terms as he offered to pay full asking price and apologized profoundly. Foolishly I had the car was repaired at my cost without a deposit and it went for a PPI at the buyers cost - 650AED. On receipt of a car inspection he has tried to negotiate 50k off the asking price to which I declined, suggested we part ways and asked for payment of the damages.

That all happened over the course of a month, you can imagine what happened next. He believes that he is already at a loss for the inspection and refuses to pay up. I'm out of pocket for my excess, car hire and taxis as the main cost of the repair went on my policy so unlikely I can claim this from him.

Is it worth opening a case with the police?? I have a police report from the time of accident with his details as driver, his license and can print off our text messages.

[shirt]

a stty situation but hardly surprising. total dick move.

i'd speak to either your insurer's legal team or your own solicitor. given all expats are extremely allergic to the uae courts i imagine the threat of legal proceedings would be enough for him to cough up.

[velocitas]

Cheers Shirt, this guy is as stubborn or as thick as granite and I'm losing the will to respond to his length emails demanding vehicle ownership documents, policy documents etc.

Know any good lawyers I can pan this off on? Total settlement is likely to be small - circa 2000AED but on principle I'm willing to run him to ground on this.

[MaxA]

Do you have any admissions or offers in writing? If not, you may have a hard time proving your case in Court, but you could threaten the issue of proceedings and see what happens. You may find however that 'defending your principles' is simply throwing good money after bad.