Well, when you do go to court on matters like this, it certainly does
help to have photos, cleaning bills, reciepts, witness reports, etc.
Otherwise, you stand little chance of recieving any said claims. It all
boils down to your word against his, and don't figure on this scum
telling the truth in court.

Sometimes, the Tony Soprano method is best.

I've seen stuff like this happen when I lived on the near west side of
chicago.

The head neighborhood gangster, who I'll call "Kahuna" just bought
himself a brad new Caddy Coupe DeVille.

A day later while the Kahuna is standing in front of the neighborhood
bar with glass of beer in hand, some neighborhood low life backs into
the Kahuna's car, scratching the nice new chrome bumper up very nicely.

Kahuna confronts the guy, says "hey man, you just hit my car"?! The guy
repeatedly denied doing so. (I was standing right there) Kahuna calmly
said, "OK, my mistake, you're right, you didn't hit my car".

Four days later, Kahuna's two cousins, "Arab", and "Filthy Frank" both
armed with baseball bats, proceeded to take out every piece of glass on
the goof's car in broad daylight.
Half the neighborhood seen it. When the cops arrived, no one seen
anything.

To me, that's justice. Mark

Mark D wrote:
snip
Four days later, Kahuna's two cousins, "Arab", and "Filthy Frank" both
armed with baseball bats, proceeded to take out every piece of glass on
the goof's car in broad daylight.
Half the neighborhood seen it. When the cops arrived, no one seen
anything.

To me, that's justice. Mark
To me that's not, Godfather.

Sure it is Grasshopper (I mean Carpenter)

Let's say your're standing right next to you car 10 feet away (As this
person was) when some miscreant hits it, then gets out of his car, and
has the gall to tell you a bald faced lie looking you straight in the
eye, that he "didn't hit your brand new, one day old car, and that
you're a liar accusing him".

Ah yes, it's a sad fact nowadays that most people just don't like being
held accountable for their actions, and couldn't give a **** about
another person's property.

They think that they're somehow above the law, and NOT to be held
accountable for their careless actions against others. Yes, I know, I
know, that's what the police department is there for "To Serve, and
Protect".

Not only do I feel that the person in my story got exactly what he
deserved, but it also made for some great entertainment that afternoon.
Ahh, what great memories. Mark

Mark D wrote:

Ah yes, it's a sad fact nowadays that most people just don't like being
held accountable for their actions

Are you talking about the people mentioned in the OP? Or in general? Or
of your personal experience? The last two are off topic, you know?

They think that they're somehow above the law, and NOT to be held
accountable for their careless actions against others.

Like the shady characters in your story? I mean Kahuna and its
cousins...


Not only do I feel that the person in my story got exactly what he
deserved, but it also made for some great entertainment that afternoon.

Puzo discovered that long before you did, but here we are talking of a
couple of nice ladies that had their feathers ruffled by a contractor.
I doubt they would want to put a contract on the man, capisc?

Besides you are getting on the war path only reading a story that just
doesn't seem convincing. According to the OP tale the man offered to
pay the full value claimed for the birdbath and they refused. Which
leaves me scratching my head wondering:" What else do they want?"