Not even going to spit out the whole, “i didn’t know was uninsured” rigmarole. I knew, I was 18 and it was a really stupid decision and I should known better.

Problem is I actually scratched someone’s car, (not while dangerous driving or anything). There was no one in the car at the time & I genuinely didn’t want to evade responsibility so I left a note with my number, so to pay for the damages which I was happy to do so.

The person whose car it was kept saying they’d get a quote and I kept inquiring about it, which they eventually did 3 months after the initial incident. Obviously the owner wanted some peace of mind and I genuinely had full intentions of paying so I left them with my name, address, all my details basically.
Communication broke down because my phone and my SIM tray wasn’t functioning so I wasn’t and receiving messages or calls or anything.

I eventually got it fixed maybe 16 days after I received the quote and the next day I got rung by guards saying the person reported the crash because they thought I was running off on them and they already claimed THEIR insurance (fair enough I would too if I hadn’t heard from me in 16 days) although as I’ve already mentioned, if I wanted to be
like that I wouldn’t have initially left the note.

The guard asked me to present my license and insurance to the Garda station within 10 days, (presumably predating to the time of the incident) they don’t know I don’t have insurance , obviously I’m going to admit that there’s no getting out of it now.

I think about the incident everyday. I’m genuinely remorseful
I’m ready for the ban, potential jail time, fine, points etc

My question is, how do I go about the restitution? and when will the court date likely be if I were to walk into the station now and tell them I had no insurance.

Hi all, I'm looking for some guidance on a deposit situation and would really appreciate any practical experience or legal insight.

The setup was that I rented a room from a head tenant — someone who rents the whole house and sub-lets the room to me. We shared the house, so the kitchen, bathroom and common areas were shared between us. There was no written contract at all, just a verbal arrangement. I paid a deposit of €1,000 by bank transfer.

I moved out on 30 September without giving notice, which I know wasn't ideal, and I accept that. The deposit hasn't been returned. I've sent a polite text asking whether the room has been re-let and what he'll be returning of the €1,000, but I haven't had a clear answer yet. The important thing is that the head tenant has a job, so he does have means to pay.

From what I've worked out so far, I'm probably a licensee rather than a tenant, which means the RTB doesn't apply to me. Small Claims seems to be my route — €25, up to €2,000 — under the rent deposit category. But I've seen conflicting information. The Consumers' Association guide says you need a written contract for a deposit claim, while Order 53A just refers to "tenant against landlord" and excludes claims that may be referred to the RTB. Since I can't go to the RTB as a licensee, I'm hoping the Small Claims Court can still hear it.

So my main questions are these. As a licensee with no written contract, can I take a Small Claims claim for a €1,000 deposit, or will it be rejected because I'm not a tenant and the head tenant isn't the owner? Does the "may be referred to the RTB" exclusion actually help me here, since I can't go to the RTB, or does it leave me with no forum at all? And given that he has a job and therefore means to pay, what's the realistic chance of actually collecting if I win — and is it worth pursuing at all?

I've contacted Threshold and am waiting to hear back, but in the meantime I'd be grateful for any practical experience anyone has with this kind of situation. Thanks in advance.

I can't see how to upload a photo here, but I'm living in a semi-d and the neighbours on the non-attached side have two large dogs that don't get walked.

Neighbours own the house and seem reasonably well off, husband is a gard. But the back yard, which is a concrete slab, stinks of dog poop and I can smell it from my side. I can see around 20 piles of poo out there.

I don't think the dogs have the best life, and I think it's unfair on the kids, but that's of course something that I can't control.

Any tips how to go about bringing this up with them without creating drama?

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Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone here has been through a similar situation and might be able to offer some advice.

On Tuesday 13th October, my parked car was hit by another vehicle travelling at considerable speed. The driver also struck other vehicles and a wall before fleeing the scene. Gardaí were involved, and the offending vehicle was recovered, but the driver escaped.

I've since been informed by Gardaí that the offending vehicle was uninsured.

My car is a 2016 Mazda 3, which was in good condition, serviced, NCT'd and running perfectly before the accident. The damage is extensive, particularly around the rear wheel and suspension, and the car is no longer driveable.

I've reported everything to my insurer, RedClick (through First Ireland), and my vehicle has been recovered for assessment. RedClick has advised that they will pursue the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) once they receive the relevant information.

Here's where things get complicated.

I work approximately 60km from home, so having a car is essential for getting to and from work.

I've also recently set up a small food trailer business, which requires a vehicle capable of towing a trailer with a maximum authorised mass of 1,200kg.

After months of preparation, I was finally getting ready to launch when this happened. I've now been left without a suitable towing vehicle, potentially delaying the business and causing further financial losses.

I've arranged a rental car through Enterprise so I can continue getting to work, but this doesn't solve the towing issue. I'm also concerned about how long the insurance process could take and what expenses I'll ultimately be left covering myself.

My questions are:

1. Has anyone dealt with MIBI following an accident involving an uninsured driver? What was your experience, and how long did the process take?

2. Can I recover reasonable car hire expenses while my own vehicle is being assessed, repaired or written off?

3. Given that my damaged vehicle was also used to tow my food trailer, could the cost of hiring a suitable towing vehicle be considered a reasonable expense?

4. If my car is written off, how is its value determined? Can I challenge the valuation if I feel it doesn't reflect the cost of replacing it with a similar vehicle?

5. Is there any possibility of recovering financial losses resulting from the delay to launching my business, or would these generally be excluded?

6. For anyone whose insurer pursued MIBI on their behalf, were you able to recover your out-of-pocket expenses? Is there anything I should be doing now to protect myself financially?

I'm keeping receipts and records of expenses, but I'm unsure what I'll realistically be entitled to recover.

I'm not looking to profit from this situation. I simply want to be put back in the position I was in before someone else's actions left me without a car and disrupted both my employment and a business I've invested considerable time and money into.

It's incredibly frustrating that someone can cause this amount of damage, flee the scene, and leave an innocent person dealing with the financial consequences.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's dealt with MIBI, Irish motor insurers or a similar situation, particularly regarding hire car expenses and recovering additional losses.

Thanks in advance!