They damaged it. They haven't paid for it.
The apology was quick. The money wasn't. Whether it was carelessness or a promise to "sort it" that never came, a letter before action puts the repair cost and a date in writing — the step a court expects before a claim. Written free, today.
Alongside the money itself, courts may award simple interest on money you have been kept out of — commonly 8% a year under the County Courts Act 1984 — and the court fee is typically added to a successful claim. Interest is discretionary. The letter sets this out so the other side can see what ignoring it costs.
How people describe it when they reach us
The sorts of things people tell us. Illustrative, based on patterns in the cases that reach us.
Your legal rights when someone damages your property
In England and Wales a person who carelessly damages your property is normally liable for the cost of putting it right, and a promise to pay for it is a contract in its own right. The evidence of how it happened and of the repair cost is most of the claim.
Case lawNegligence — damage to propertyCarelessly damaging someone else's property may give rise to a claim.
Where a person owes a duty to take reasonable care and damage results from a failure to do so, the owner may recover the cost of repair or the value lost. Courts typically ask whether the damage was foreseeable and whether reasonable care was taken.
Case lawContract law — breach of contractFailing to do what was paid for may amount to breach of contract.
A job, a purchase or a loan is typically analysed as a contract. If one side does not perform a central promise — work not done, money not repaid, goods not handed over — a court may find a breach and will then consider what loss flowed from it. The measure is normally the money you are out of pocket, proved with evidence.
This is general information about the law in England and Wales, not advice about your case. Which provisions apply, and how, depends on the facts.
Four things you'll hear. None of them end it.
Accidents caused by carelessness are still their responsibility. The law asks whether reasonable care was taken; if it wasn't, the cost of repair is normally recoverable.
You can — and then your insurer claims from them, with your excess. Or the letter asks them directly. Either way the loss is theirs to bear, not yours.
Then two quotes settle it. The letter uses the lower; a genuine dispute about cost is a dispute about the number, not about paying.
The letter asks when. 14 days to pay or propose a plan. Silence is what turns this into a claim.
Five things worth gathering now
The letter first. Court only if they ignore it.
Your side, your words
What happened, what was agreed, what you are out of pocket. We ask what a court would ask, so the letter says what a court would need to hear.
Written for you, free
A formal letter before action with a 14-day deadline, setting out what is owed and why. You see it at no charge. Posting it by tracked mail and watching the deadline is £15.
Court claim, prepared
If the deadline passes: one tap turns the letter into a small claim, drafted, checked and filed. The £15 comes off our fee. The decision is the court's.
What JustClaim is: we prepare and file the paperwork for your claim, for a fixed price shown before you pay. We're not a law firm, this isn't legal advice, and no outcome is ever guaranteed — what you get is the strongest honest version of your case, properly made.
Questions people in this exact spot ask
Can I claim if they didn't mean to do it?
Usually, yes. Negligence — carelessness that caused foreseeable damage — is enough; intent isn't required. The letter sets out what happened and asks for the repair cost.
They said they'd pay and then didn't. Does the promise count?
Yes, twice over: it is evidence they accepted responsibility, and a promise to pay for the damage can itself be a binding agreement.
Should I go through insurance instead?
You can, and your insurer may then pursue them. Many people prefer the letter: it keeps the excess and the premium out of it and asks the person responsible directly.
What if I only have a first name and a number?
A letter has to reach them. A car registration, a workplace, an address from a neighbour — tell us what you have.
How much does it cost if it goes further?
If the letter is ignored, a court claim has a court fee set by the amount: £35 up to £300, £50 up to £500, £70 up to £1,000, £115 up to £3,000. If you win, the fee is normally added to what the other side is ordered to pay. Our fixed price is shown before you pay anything.
Is the letter really free?
Yes. Tell us what happened and the letter before action is written and shown to you at no charge. If you want us to post it by tracked mail and watch the 14-day deadline, that is £15, shown before you pay — and it comes off our fee if it later becomes a court claim.
Still out of pocket for their damage?
Tell us what happened. The letter before action is written free and shown to you today; posting it and watching the deadline is £15.
Write the letter — free →