Guest car damage claim

[Nick1752]

Guests left one day ago. Today they left me a message saying their car roof got damaged by our garage door. The garage door is a full metal panel and you need to pull it up to open. 
What they said is the garage door didn't hold well and came down, hit the car roof while they parked the car in.
We had quite a few guests before all with cars and I didn't have any complaints about the garage door. Also I am not sure whether they have fully opened the garage door before they parked in.  

How do hosts deal with such situation? 

[Robin4]

@Nick1752 

Damage to the roof of a car is quite specific. Not something that would happen in the supermarket car-park. Not something that would happen if the goose ahead of you at a set of traffic lights rolled back and hit your car and then blamed you!

There are not too many situations where a car roof, in isolation,  gets damaged.....unless it's the result of a suicide from an upper floor balcony which your car just happened to be parked under!

Get them to send you photos of the damaged car roof. If there is in fact damage it may be possible that the damage was caused by a previous encounter with a garage door, or a car-park boom exit gate,  but Nick, that is unlikely. It is probable that the photos will be accurate!

Secondly, is it possible for your garage door, by gravity,  to simply close itself regardless of whether there is a vehicle under it or not?

You know what sounds feasible with your property and what doesn't.......If there is a possibility that this door of yours did unexpectedly come down on your guests vehicle roof, then you are going to have to accept some responsibility for their damage. After all, the negligence is on your part, not the guests!

You can put in a claim to the Resolution Centre but, they will in all probability tell you to claim on your public liability policy and not offer you any further assistance!

Cheers........Rob

[Mike-And-Jane0]

I would say sorry but there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the garage door (assuming this is true). Are you close to the rental? If so then I would have expected them to bring it up with you at the time the damage happened.

[Emily487]

@Nick1752 

Kind of sounds like user error. My dad's garage door must be pushed up really hard and fast in order to "catch" and stay up. 

I am pretty sure this is just an issue for their car insurance company (even if it's a rental car).

They might submit a request for money through the Resolution Center but do not accept it. 

[Nick1752]

Thanks all the for reply.

I went to the house and checked the garage, no paint on the garage door at all. Guest said there was blue paint from their car. I have taken a few photos. I had to pull hard to close it when it was in the full open position

[Marie82]

@Nick1752 if u get a chance don't only take pictures but make a video of the whole door working process. As he shows the whole things more accurately. I used to provide car space I stopped offering it. I don't offer any extra anymore, as I found out it brings more headache than anything else.

[Sarah977]

@Nick1752  It would seem to me that they just didn't push it up far enough for it to stay. It's sort of like a guest leaving a kitchen drawer open, then trying to blame the host because they smashed their hip on it while trying to walk around it.

I'd just advise them to have their car insurance company deal with it, telling them that neither you, nor any of your other guests has ever had such a thing happen.