My mom screws me over!

I bought a 1986 Chevy Cavalier back around Christmas. It's the only car I can afford now. $800 but it's not such a bad car and is in decent shape considering its age. It only has 45,000 miles on it. Most importantly, it's exterior is near perfect with few rust points.

Anyway, I was staying with my parents this past week. My mom usually leaves for work at 8:00 or so. This particular morning, she must've been completely zoned out. She backed into my car which was in the driveway, leaving a gigantic dent in the side of my car. My mom has hearing problems and so, looking back, it's highly unlikely she knew she had hit it until she had really nailed it all the way. This was no bended fender that can be pulled back out with a plunger.

I wake up an hour later and start making phone calls and going about my business of trying to find a job. I have no idea there's a huge dent in my car. She comes home around noon to get lunch. She talks to me for about 30 minutes before casually mentioning that she backed into my car. I run out and see it and am very pissed.

Trying to keep this somewhat brief, she will not pay anything for damages since it's only an $800 car. I'm not about to argue with her but I know she just doesn't look in her rearview mirror anymore these days.

t's not that she doesn't have a point but talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Looks like I'll be driving around a banged up car permanently now! x(

Thanx for letting me rant! It's been very frustrating.

It's like one of those things where, when they owe money for something, pull out the 'think of all the things I did for you when you were a kid' card.

Give it up. You'll never win this one.

in our driveway, i have to park in a special place (a v. awkward one too) to keep from getting hit.

acknowedging that she has a good point; it is only an $800 car. But take it to a mechanic anyway, and get an estimate on what it would cost to fix the damage. Take the estimate home to your mother and explain that, while you agree that the car isn't worth fixing, she clearly did cause the damage, and you feel that she should contribute that amount to either your next car or your insurance payments (assuming you're paying for your own insurance). That way, it's off in the futre, so she won't have to worry about it now, but you won't feel like you're getting screwed over. If she says it's still too much, offer to negotiate or get another estimate; you should be able to find something she'll be willing to agree to.

Thanks for the input. I appreciate it.

If she still says no, I'll begin saving up the money she gives me for birthdays and christmas until it equals the total of the damages. She'll pay for it and not even know it. :)

it doesn't matter how much you paid for the car, it's about taking responsibility for one's actions...even if the person happens to be your mother. Why should you get screwed just because you don't drive a Lexus?

want me to rough her up? :)