Broken Windows

[bgreed 0]

Any judge with a brain (not that those are so easy to find nowadays) Would find that you had offered to repair existing window, not replace them with new windows. There is a very big difference here since it is easy to see that no one in their right mind would say "go ahead and replace all the windows because my kids broke a couple panes of glass" Not even logical. Your neighbor is trying to get something for nothing and the judge will see this and most likely throw it out possibly with prejudice. If it were me I'd be saying "No way" if they take the next step and do try to take it to court tell'em "I hope your ready to dance" My two cents says the judge is gonna be pissed and not at you. Good luck

[Yodrak 7]

bgreed et.al.,

One thing we have not yet learned in this thread, and may not learn, is why the neighbor replaced to old windows, taken from a house, with new ones.

The reason could make quite a difference, one way or the other.

Yodrak

Any judge with a brain (not that those are so easy to find nowadays) Would find that you had offered to repair existing window, not replace them with new windows. There is a very big difference here since it is easy to see that no one in their right mind would say "go ahead and replace all the windows because my kids broke a couple panes of glass" Not even logical. Your neighbor is trying to get something for nothing and the judge will see this and most likely throw it out possibly with prejudice. If it were me I'd be saying "No way" if they take the next step and do try to take it to court tell'em "I hope your ready to dance" My two cents says the judge is gonna be pissed and not at you. Good luck

[aya*abouelnasr 0]

According to the contractor, it was the "only way" to repair the windows. I don't even have a problem with the fact that they hired a contractor to do the work. That decision was theirs to make. I just don't understand how they can logically think that I am responsible for replacing 3 complete windows, including frames, when my sons only broke a few panes of glass. No, I don't think the fact that my sons broke the windows is okay, and believe me, they have heard about it from me more than once.

I also forgot to mention that since the conversation with the daughter across the street from me, the situation has escalated even further. Now it has been said that my sons have broken into the house, broken more windows, destroyed a screen door. I know this is not true because since the windows were broken my sons are not allowed outside to play unless someone is with them. The other daughter came to my door shouting about my bratty destructive children and threatened me. The tires on my van were slashed. Just to mention, my boys are 10 and 12, far from being angels, but a long way from delinquency.

[sereia 0]

wow... thats awful drama!!! i wouldn't pay them a single penny then! let them prove you did any of that. its all bs and im sure the judge would see through it.

[trueimage 0]

I wish someone would break my windows so that I could get my house remodeled too!!!!! Seriously, I hope it is fair and you don't have to pay for your neighbor's greed. That just sad.

Don't go on Judge Judy. There's no telling who she would side with. She's too unpredicatable (there's no consistancy in her rulings) and I think her judgement is questionable. Good luck!

[JoeMama 0]

According to the contractor, it was the "only way" to repair the windows. I don't even have a problem with the fact that they hired a contractor to do the work. That decision was theirs to make. I just don't understand how they can logically think that I am responsible for replacing 3 complete windows, including frames, when my sons only broke a few panes of glass. No, I don't think the fact that my sons broke the windows is okay, and believe me, they have heard about it from me more than once.

I also forgot to mention that since the conversation with the daughter across the street from me, the situation has escalated even further. Now it has been said that my sons have broken into the house, broken more windows, destroyed a screen door. I know this is not true because since the windows were broken my sons are not allowed outside to play unless someone is with them. The other daughter came to my door shouting about my bratty destructive children and threatened me. The tires on my van were slashed. Just to mention, my boys are 10 and 12, far from being angels, but a long way from delinquency.

That goes to show what kind of idiot those kids have for parents allowing their children to do such ####### to you. Life always evens everything out. No one leaves this life without their debts being paid one way or another

[archie07 0]

Okay, this has NOTHING to do with the visa process, but I would appreciate any input on what you would do in this situation.

About 2 months ago, my boys broke 3 windows in the neighbors carport. Understand this carport was hand built using old windows from a house. Each frame had about 6 long narrow panes of glass in it and out of the 4 window frames they broke 3 panes of glass total. I questioned them, they admitted it, no problem.

I alerted the owners daughter about the broken panes, explained to her what had happened (the boys were playing ball) and she came over to investigate the damage. As they live just across the street, I know that her husband usually prefers to do a lot of the work on the property himself, for this house and another rental that he owns next to him. In talking with her, she said that she did not know when her husband would get around to fixing the windows. I told her then that when he replaced them, to keep the receipt for the glass and I would gladly reimburse them for the panes of glass.

No Problem, Right?

Wrong!

Other daughter of owner steps in, contacts a contractor who comes in and replaces the old windows with brand new Storm windows. Not replaceing the panes, but the whole window.

She then sends me a "bill" for nearly 600.00.

Now she is threatening to take me to small claims court if I don't cough up the money.

I didn't have then and don't have now, a problem with "replacing" what my kids damaged, but should I be legally responsible for upgrading a carport?

What would you do? Should I make out a payment plan for all or a portion of the damage, or should I take my chances on going to court?

Any input will be accepted gratefully.

You didn't make the agreement with the other daughter in the first place. The agreement was between you and the daughter across the street to pay for replacement of the glass. That is all I would pay for, not the window upgrade.

[trueimage 0]

Okay, this has NOTHING to do with the visa process, but I would appreciate any input on what you would do in this situation.

About 2 months ago, my boys broke 3 windows in the neighbors carport. Understand this carport was hand built using old windows from a house. Each frame had about 6 long narrow panes of glass in it and out of the 4 window frames they broke 3 panes of glass total. I questioned them, they admitted it, no problem.

I alerted the owners daughter about the broken panes, explained to her what had happened (the boys were playing ball) and she came over to investigate the damage. As they live just across the street, I know that her husband usually prefers to do a lot of the work on the property himself, for this house and another rental that he owns next to him. In talking with her, she said that she did not know when her husband would get around to fixing the windows. I told her then that when he replaced them, to keep the receipt for the glass and I would gladly reimburse them for the panes of glass.

No Problem, Right?

Wrong!

Other daughter of owner steps in, contacts a contractor who comes in and replaces the old windows with brand new Storm windows. Not replaceing the panes, but the whole window.

She then sends me a "bill" for nearly 600.00.

Now she is threatening to take me to small claims court if I don't cough up the money.

I didn't have then and don't have now, a problem with "replacing" what my kids damaged, but should I be legally responsible for upgrading a carport?

What would you do? Should I make out a payment plan for all or a portion of the damage, or should I take my chances on going to court?

Any input will be accepted gratefully.

You didn't make the agreement with the other daughter in the first place. The agreement was between you and the daughter across the street to pay for replacement of the glass. That is all I would pay for, not the window upgrade.

Good Point!!!!

[Ban Hammer 13,109]

According to the contractor, it was the "only way" to repair the windows. I don't even have a problem with the fact that they hired a contractor to do the work. That decision was theirs to make. I just don't understand how they can logically think that I am responsible for replacing 3 complete windows, including frames, when my sons only broke a few panes of glass. No, I don't think the fact that my sons broke the windows is okay, and believe me, they have heard about it from me more than once.

I also forgot to mention that since the conversation with the daughter across the street from me, the situation has escalated even further. Now it has been said that my sons have broken into the house, broken more windows, destroyed a screen door. I know this is not true because since the windows were broken my sons are not allowed outside to play unless someone is with them. The other daughter came to my door shouting about my bratty destructive children and threatened me. The tires on my van were slashed. Just to mention, my boys are 10 and 12, far from being angels, but a long way from delinquency.

not surprising the contractor would say that.......

[archie07 0]

Probably too late now but I would have taken the old windows from the contractor and brought them to a glass shop and got a written estimate for the glass replacement. I would take the old windows to court to show the judge and take photos of the new windows.

[Yodrak 7]

On the other hand, it may very well be true. Those windows were said to have been taken from an old house. They would have been removed for some reason, quite possibly because they were obsolete and no longer servicable for a dwelling.

The idea of reusing them for another purpose seems reasonable, but to use windows to build a garage does seem like a risky endeavor.

In any event, the real lesson of this thread seems to be how something that starts small can escalate dramatically into what now appears to be all out war. The situation appears to have gotten way out of control, and in retrospect paying the $600 immediately might have been the least expensive, albeit emotionally irritating, thing to do.

Yodrak

According to the contractor, it was the "only way" to repair the windows. .....

not surprising the contractor would say that.......

Edited July 11, 2007 by Yodrak

[Nessa 23]

Just break the window again and this time offer to pay only for the glass

[babybunny 2]

NO, It is you who have put their foot in their mouth, not me. If you had taken more time to read instead of running your mouth, you would have known that I said I would replace the broken window panes, not the whole danm frame, which is what she had replaced. Never did I say, "OH sure, my kids broke a window, so go ahead and replace them all and I will gladly pay for it".

Maybe before you write a disparaging remark about someone, you should make sure you know what you are talking about.

its your bad azz kids that broke the window!!! if they were doing the right thing they would have never been playing next to somone else window. they would be playing near YOUR window. I use your own words missy!!! you said you will pay for it.I quote" of my own free will, to reimburse them for the broken panes of glass". so if anyone wrote a " Disparaging remark" it was YOU!

I only took your words that reflected you paying for the windows. so pay the 600.00.

what I dont like is when people suddenly try to weasle out of the situation because its not going their way. if you would have said you will pay 200.00 at least you would have established some kind of ground. Rather the windows are new, antique or whatever you clearly opened yourself up MORE. the bottomline this would have never started if it was not for your kids breaking the window, since they are kids - you will have to pay for it. if you cant see that. then perhaps your kids proble cant see the fact they should not have been playing near someone elses window! I hope you learned a lession here if not.. well maybe the 600.00 will for sure give you a reality check!

btw, if you cant handle my simple little words. how the hell can you handle judge judy? if you know anything about her. she dont like when kids are bad!! she only likes when they are behaved and they do the right thing. With parents doing the right thing!

[aya*abouelnasr 0]

#1: No mother likes to hear her children referred to as "bad azz kids", even if they are, which mine are not.

#2: Parents are resposible for the actions of their children, to a degree.

#3: I never said that I would not assume responibility for my childrens actions, but in all fairness, should 3 panes of glass cost 600.00?

#4: I can't imagine any window being so obsolete that a pane of glass cannot be cut to size for it at Lowes or Home Depot.

#5: I offered to pay for half the cost of the repairs for all the work, including the replacement of a door my children did not damage, but was on the contractors list of things he repaired.

#6: In all fairness, I feel that I have done all that I could to be honest about the situation. Since no one lives in the home, I could have let it go and let them assume whatever they wanted to about the damage. I am the one who alerted them about the damage because I do believe in being held accountable for your actions. My children broke the windows, therefore their punishment was to be held accountable, and to clean up the glass, and to appologize. Since they are only 12 and 10, I cannot make them finacially reimburse me or the neighbor for the loss. One of the things I stress most in raising my sons to be good and honest adults, is that you and you alone are in charge of your actions. You will be held accountable, either on this earth by your peers, or by God.

#7: I am not a mean sprited or nasty person by nature. Don't insult my intelligence, and I won't insult yours. I do not believe in getting a free ride, or in shirking my responsibilites. It is not, nor has ever been my intention of ripping someone off. I do, however, believe in fairness. Maybe it would have been easier to pay the 600.00, but would that have satisfied them? Or would they keep blaming this and then that on my sons because of this incident?