UPDATE: I was up there visiting and made sure this MESS got straightened out! There were actually TWO minor “accidents” a couple weeks apart. The 1st was the CVS parking lot this thread was started for, and the 2nd was the neighbor backing into the driver’s door, leaving a deep dent and breaking off the mirror! This update is for the 2nd incident. The 1st is still ongoing with CVS providing me with the video and Insurance main office reviewing it.
I ended up laying into the local Insurance Company Bozos for getting involved. Told them they should’ve just told my mother to go through the neighbor’s Insurance Company, and by paying my mother half the amount needed for the repair they just made things WORSE! They said they paid what they paid because they considered it my Mom’s fault - even though the neighbor admitted it! The neighbor had left a note but was otherwise uncooperative once she found out my mother had gone to her Insurance Company! I had to have a “conversation” with the neighbor about how my Mom is almost 87 years old, and thought she was doing what she had to do, and had no idea about fixing things “under the table”.
Anyway, my Mom’s Insurance Company (who she’s been with for a HALF CENTURY - but that didn’t help her in any way, apparently … and I told the Bozos that!), ended up releasing the remaining funds to fix the car, and it DID get fixed!
Then, I went back into the Bozos office afterwards and told them I wanted a letter from them saying they collected the full amount of the repair from the neighbor’s Insurance Company (I gave them that information), and they agreed to do that, but so far after about a month now - no letter. My concern was they would just write it off and raise my Mom’s rates to pay for it.
I don’t think this is the end of this. We’ll see if my Mom’s rates go up. We’ll see if this “accident” appears on her driving record (it sure as heck shouldn’t … she was parked!), and what about “Depreciated Value” because this damage will now appear on a CarFax! I mentioned this to the Bozos and they told me they wouldn’t help with that.
“Thanks a lot”, I told them. “Half Century of premiums to you guys, and this is the service my Mom gets?”
… oh … as for the rear bumper cover damage caused by the 1st incident: the shop fixing the door worked most of it out for no extra cost, but it doesn’t look too good. Looks like they used the hot water method and slowly pushed it out with their hands. Instead of the 2 or 3 huge dents it now has several dimpled dents. The form of it is correct, but it just doesn’t look very good. Maybe I could work on it a little more myself and improve it, I don’t know…