Call the cops or not?

[brettwatson]

I get home from about a week's vacation and my yard has been farmed. Car tracks across the entire front yard. Major spinout with huge gouges. Very noticeable. Mailbox tilting from where the yahoo backed into it.

Then I see a note on my front door. Father of the 16-year-old who did it fesses up, although he says the kid "spun out" and did not mean to drive all over my lawn. About one chance in a million this was an accident, but I play nice to him on the phone.

They come over and prop the mailbox back up but of course can't do anything about the yard, which will look like **** for the next four months.

Do I call the cops just to have it on the record, or let it go since the family took responsibility for their juvenile deliquent of a son? By the way, the lawn work occurred at 11:30 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

 

[User 1019]

Nah, just ask the dad to replace the mailbox.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Nah, just ask the dad to replace the mailbox.

And have the kid sow grass seed and repair the ruts.

 

[SoSueMe]

Ask the dad to pay for a new mailbox, and sod.

And, if the dad is any kind of father, he'll make the kid come over and lay the sod as part of his punishment.

EDIT: Inky, you're too fast for me!

 

[Lamar Mundane]

Don't call the cops but forcefully tell the father it would be a good life lesson for his son to pay for the consequences of his actions. Say, "I think it would show maturity if for the next month, for two hours each weekend the boy comes over to work on my yard to return it to the shape it was before the accident."

If daddy balks, have a friend call as your lawyer indicating they won't hesitate to seek full restitution.

 

[brettwatson]

The mailbox is actually okay. The work they did on it is not a concern now as it looks as good as new.

It's the yard I'm obsessing about.

And of course I'd like to know the real story behind what happened, which I probably never will get.

One other factor...this isn't the first time I have had similar kind of drunk teen kind of stuff done to my house, which is actually in a very quiet suburban subdivision. Other times were less dramatic and no notes were left.

 

[Angola!]

You should line your yard with sharp, pointy rocks. So then the next time some jackass decides to make your front yard his personal NASCAR winner's circle, the rocks will damage his tires.
Also, I would definitely try and force the kid to come over and re-sod your lawn or spray hydro-seed or something.

 

[Bubba Fett]

Make them pay for a new lawn and then surround it with punji sticks.

 

[ifilus]

I would get an estimate for yard repair from a professional landscaper (or two), then present the bill to the father. If he refuses to pay, I'd take the note to the cops and proceed to prosecute. And there's always small claims court. Or Judge Judy.

 

[Moderator1]

Definitely get his ass over there working on your yard. And call and give his name and number to the good folks at M.A.D.D. They'll hassle him like it's never been done before.

 

[Unibomber]

When Uni was 16, he was doing brake-slides on the ice with some buds and lost control and took out a mailbox.
Uni went to the door, told the owner and replaced the mailbox as soon as ground was soft enough for him to dig a hole.
Made the kid resod and be done with it. Calling the cops is not necessary.

 

[leo1]

Don't call the cops but forcefully tell the father it would be a good life lesson for his son to pay for the consequences of his actions. Say, "I think it would show maturity if for the next month, for two hours each weekend the boy comes over to work on my yard to return it to the shape it was before the accident."

If daddy balks, have a friend call as your lawyer indicating they won't hesitate to seek full restitution.

good advice except for the last sentence. in most states, unauthorized practice of law (ie. impersonating a lawyer) is a felony. so unless your friend is actually a lawyer, don't do this.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

It's not worth calling the police. In most states it would be misdemeanor criminal mischief. Plus, cops hate ticky tack **** like this because it takes away from the real crimes going on.

 

[EStreetJoe]

Get the estimate and have the father get the kid to pay for it. If they balk, call the police and have them file a report (if the kid spun out and went onto the lawn it could be wreckless driving in addition to criminal mischief). Then go to small claims court with the note and police report as evidence and get the money from them. Or skip small claims court and live with the knowledge that although they're not paying you, they're paying the cost in higher car insurance premiums.

 

[ifilus]

It's not worth calling the police. In most states it would be misdemeanor criminal mischief. Plus, cops hate ticky tack **** like this because it takes away from the real crimes going on.

Misdemeanor or not, the threat of calling the cops should be enough to scare the punk's father into paying for the lawn to be repaired the right way by pros.

Why settle for a halfass job by a kid being forced to do the work as a punishment?

 

[Flying Headbutt]

Either way the punk ass kid should be paying for it. Show a little ****ing respect for other people's ****.

 

[Lamar Mundane]

Why settle for a halfass job by a kid being forced to do the work as a punishment?

B/c then you have the pleasure of critiquing the kid's work and messing with his psyche. Psychologicaly destroy him and let his parents pick up the pieces.

 

[ifilus]

Why settle for a halfass job by a kid being forced to do the work as a punishment?

B/c then you have the pleasure of critiquing the kid's work and messing with his psyche. Psychologicaly destroy him and let his parents pick up the pieces.

I'd rather have a nice yard.

 

[Xsportschick]

... it could be wreckless driving ....

If only...

I agree with the majority of the posters here on making the best use of the cops's time and having the kid do the work.

While the lawn is a superficial, though highly visible, effect, the questions to answer are:

What long-term outcome are you looking for here?

How would you expect to be approached if you were this kid's dad?

What series of actions support respect for who you are without inviting anonymous future lawn jobs?

imho, the initial satisfaction of calling the cops -- or even suggesting a blunt legal skirmish -- is outweighed by the long-term peace in your quiet suburban subdivision, not to trip into any metaphors...

In any case, sorry about your lawn. Rotten way to start the year.

 

[lone star scribe]

The father manned up and told you what happened. Leave the cops out of it, get a couple professional estimates and let the father know how much it will cost to repair the damage to your yard. Leave it up to the father whether the kid pays for it (probably will). But you don't want the kid working on your yard. He's done enough damage there.