Must I pay for a broken window

amother

Wed, Feb 14 2024, 6:22 pm

watergirl wrote:

I want to believe the best in OP and assume that she is not backing out, but she is asking the ladies here for their thoughts on the matter.

OP here, I already paid, but I was surprised that they accepted the total cost for the window. At best, I would have thought they would have accepted half. I was asking whether I was obligated to pay.

amother

Blue

Wed, Feb 14 2024, 6:47 pm

amother OP wrote:

You're not obligated to pay. And if I were them I wouldn't take the whole amount unless I was really desperate for the money. Maybe their financial situation is really desperate.

amother

Blue

Wed, Feb 14 2024, 6:50 pm

amother OP wrote:

It once happened in my house when my son and a group of his friends were playing ball. One of the boys broke my window accidentally. I never mentioned it to his parents, and they never offered to pay, even though I know for certainty that the boy told his parents what had happened.

If you couldn't afford to replace your window then you could certainly ask them to pay. Hashem should help that you can easily cover for these broken windows.

Princess23

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 12:06 am

amother OP wrote:

If your 11 year old son was playing ball with a group of friends in one the other boy's backyard, and your son hit a ball that broke a window, are you obligated to pay? I offered to pay, yet I was surprised that they accepted my money. It's happened to me in the past, and I never accept payment from anyone else.

You did the right thing a G-d fearing Jew would do

amother

Aubergine

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 7:01 am

Of course the parent of a kid who broke something should offer to pay and pay it. That's basic menchlichkeit. And the parent of the kid who broke your window should also have offered to pay. To be fair the kid should be involved in helping pay it back, whether allowance birthday money...
Also, even if halacha says a minor kid doesn't have to pay, what about dina dmalchusa dina? I'm sure every country the person who damaged something or their parents if underage are legally responsible, so in that case the parents are halachically responsible.

unless parents can't afford it.

amother

Clover

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 8:09 am

You are not obligated to pay the same way it is halachicly permissible to marry off 14 year olds.
None the less, you should pay and one should not marry off children.

(Just read the Yoli Roth thread)

DrMom

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 8:28 am

amother NeonGreen wrote:

I’m confused about the Halacha: if a minor does damage that’s it, the one who lost out has to cover the bill? That doesn’t sound fair at all.

I'm confused too.

If my ox gores another man's ox, I am liable.

But if my kid shatters another man's window, nobody pays?

Seems counterintuitive.

Scratching Head

amother

Mint

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 10:06 am

Similar: My son (7 at the time?) was playing baseball in neighbors FRONT yard and broke a window. Of course I offered to pay, and I think they even said not to worry about it as their kid has broken windows before too! but said I would take care of it. I called window replacement guy & paid. They are good friends and I don't want to sour our relationship as friends or neighbors. I know my son can be (and was) very active, acts before thinking and broke the window. If it was at my house with active kids, I would probably tell the other parent not to worry about it as well - but the menchlich thing to do is to pay up.

chanatron1000

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 10:16 am

DrMom wrote:

I'm confused too.

If my ox gores another man's ox, I am liable.

But if my kid shatters another man's window, nobody pays?

Seems counterintuitive.

Scratching Head

The ox is your property, and it has no agency. Your child is an individual person capable of operating independently. The fact that being a minor exempts the child from liability doesn't make the liability transferable. Though, of course, in practice, paying for damages caused by one's child is the right thing to do.

Cheiny

Thu, Feb 15 2024, 11:43 am

amother OP wrote:

Of course you should pay. Why should someone else have to pay to replace something your son broke?