Well, one front n/s wheel and tyre trashed LCR...

[Cyclone]

On a similar note to this - my brother was coming round a corner on a hill and his car slid and he ended up by trashing most of the front passenger-side suspension on the kerb. The car was un-driveable as the wheel wouldn't move.

Looked at the road and it was really slippery, like an oil or diesel spillage and there was a trail which led up the hill to where some contractors had layed a new bit of pavement that day. Spoke to some local residents and they confirmed contractors had been working on that stretch of road that day. Called the police they came out and had a look agreed it was dangerous, and got Highways Agency out to clean it up.

So sent a letter complete with pictures off to local council (also in Surrey), with police report number, highways agency report number, copies of invoices, and explained what happened and said that he was claiming for repairs and towing.

The response was something along the lines of this:

Dear Mr xxxxxx

blah blah blah blah, we acknowledge that there was a problem with the surface of the road. But we don't have anyway of processing your claim because we don't have a department for it.


Apparently they are setting up a department, so he can claim then.

 

[neilmac]

On a similar note to this - my brother was coming round a corner on a hill and his car slid and he ended up by trashing most of the front passenger-side suspension on the kerb. The car was un-driveable as the wheel wouldn't move.

Looked at the road and it was really slippery, like an oil or diesel spillage and there was a trail which led up the hill to where some contractors had layed a new bit of pavement that day. Spoke to some local residents and they confirmed contractors had been working on that stretch of road that day. Called the police they came out and had a look agreed it was dangerous, and got Highways Agency out to clean it up.

So sent a letter complete with pictures off to local council (also in Surrey), with police report number, highways agency report number, copies of invoices, and explained what happened and said that he was claiming for repairs and towing.

The response was something along the lines of this:

Dear Mr xxxxxx

blah blah blah blah, we acknowledge that there was a problem with the surface of the road. But we don't have anyway of processing your claim because we don't have a department for it.


Apparently they are setting up a department, so he can claim then.

Well just got of the phone to surrey highways and I can claim...they are sending me out the form and the lady I spoke to said that they have acknowledged the road is in need of urgent repair so shouldnt be took difficult...not sure I believe the difficult bit.

So I will let you all know how I get on.....havent had a chance to take a pic yet but will do when I get 5mins! and whack it on this thread.

 

[neilmac]

Just off the phone to Seat Watford....

£343 for a new alloy!! lets hope I get the cash back, thats before the tyre and the cost of checking it over and lord knows where its going if there is something wrong...

 

[UncleFester]

Heck you can get a set of 4 aftermarket alloys for about £100 more than that!

 

[neilmac]

Heck you can get a set of 4 aftermarket alloys for about £100 more than that!

Its a good point...I like the cupra alloy's though and hopefully Im getting the money back.

 

[UncleFester]

Hope you get it sorted ... especially at that price!

 

[neilmac]

Anyone know if £343 is expensive for a cupra R alloy or about right? Quoted this from Seat Watford...didnt surprise me...but just in case there is somewhere else to pick on up cheaper?

 

[Brucel]

EXPENSIVE! Yes.... Dealer standard pricing I think so!!!

I was told around £180 from Autoworld in Sheffield.

 

[neilmac]

EXPENSIVE! Yes.... Dealer standard pricing I think so!!!

I was told around £180 from Autoworld in Sheffield.

Ok, so can I actually get a cupra R Seat alloy from somewhere other than a stealer? I didnt think I could, I thought they would all be aftermarket stuff?

 

[Brucel]

Autoworld is a dealer mate... I would ring round a few and get some prices think they are trying to take you for a ride.

 

[neilmac]

Autoworld is a dealer mate... I would ring round a few and get some prices think they are trying to take you for a ride.

Just googled it and have seen that - righto - will do - thanks.

 

[Copra]

Just got back...driving up the A331 from Aldershot to the M3..about 1/4 mile from the Aldershot junction going northbound...when I see a big hole coming up on the n/s on the dual carriage way......then bang....out goes the front tyre...managed to swerve and save the rear.....pull over and there is one bent alloy and a flat tyre...brilliant...one good £120 tyre trashed and one alloy bent. My wife is 35 weeks pregnant so it wasnt the best 30 mins changing the wheels in the pitch black. Lucklily some people stopped in front of me and were going back to take pictures of this 'hole' as it took out both their front and back tyres and alloy's....upon there return they said it was a 1 metre long whole about 5 inches deep!!! on the inside lane of a dual carriageway!!! They called out the police and got a police report when it happened to them an hour earlier.

Get home, phone highways for surrey and the reason no one is fixing it is because they cant decide who owns that bit of road - surrey or rushmore!!

If they dont do something soon they are going to have a nasty accident to deal with!

So anyone got any experience of claiming damages back from councils with respect to damage to vehicles caused by poor highway condition?

I'll post some pics of said wheel tomorrow...too dark now....

Do you reckon I should whack it into stealer and get the suspension checked? I mean it put a dent about 4 inches long in the alloy?

I had a similar thing near Alton, trashed 2 wheels, 2 tyres and obviously the full alignment check. Cost me a small fortune to fix and the council made it absolutely clear from day one that they had no intention to pay, and would fight it in court. I took several pics of the site where i was cought out and the "pot hole" was infact half the lane missing....still, no hope! i just had to accept it was "one of those things" and forget about it.

I hope they have put signs up there or something, i use that bit of road quite often!?

 

[neilmac]

I had a similar thing near Alton, trashed 2 wheels, 2 tyres and obviously the full alignment check. Cost me a small fortune to fix and the council made it absolutely clear from day one that they had no intention to pay, and would fight it in court. I took several pics of the site where i was cought out and the "pot hole" was infact half the lane missing....still, no hope! i just had to accept it was "one of those things" and forget about it.

I hope they have put signs up there or something, i use that bit of road quite often!?

Krikey and I thought Ive had a bad one...how much did new cupra alloys set you back?

The council have phoned me back to say that I am well within my rights to claim for this incident..they have to review it though....I think the fact that there was 19 '999' calls on this one and eventually a police sergant in surrey made a call to someone high up to tell them to sort it...shows signs of neglegance when there is a considerable risk to personal safety....at least I consider it so. So they are going to have to have a very good reason to not pay out. One of the other drivers is actually intending to take them to court for neglegance...let alone car damage.

I'll get some pics up tomorrow of the wheel and let you all know how it goes.