Who should pay for the broken TV?
The complainant says
I bought a 55 inch TV when I moved in and put it in the shared living room so everyone could use it. My flatmate had friends round while I was away for a weekend. One of the friends was demonstrating a golf swing with a real club (I still don't understand why a golf club was in the living room) and smashed the screen.
It cost me just over £500 two years ago. My flatmate says the friend should pay, but the friend has gone quiet and my flatmate won't chase them. I think my flatmate is responsible because they invited the person into our home and it happened on their watch.
The other side says the flatmate, as the complainant tells it
They say it was an accident, they didn't break it, and they have already asked their friend to pay. They also say the TV was two years old and wouldn't be worth £500 now, and that I chose to put my own TV in a shared room, so there was always a risk.
Update from the complainant 32 days ago
The friend eventually paid £250 and my flatmate covered another £150. I've bought a smaller TV and it stays in my room when I'm away.
Jury discussion (8 comments)
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Why was there a golf club in the living room and why was anyone swinging it.
Your guest, your responsibility. That's how it works with everything from spilled wine to golf clubs apparently.
Thanks all. The golf swing has been retired.
'You chose to put your TV in a shared room' is such a bad argument. So everyone should keep their stuff locked in their bedrooms?
The depreciation point is actually fair though. You'd get maybe £200 for it second hand.
You'd get £200 for it if it wasn't smashed. Replacing it with an equivalent still costs real money.
Replacement value vs used value is literally what every insurer argues about. Meet in the middle.
Glad you got £400 back. That's a decent outcome honestly.