to think we should pay for the damage to FIL's car

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DP and I are in the midst of moving house. DP's Dad (who I refer to as FIL, as he might as well be) has helped us lug all of our stuff out of the old apartment, and up three flights of stairs to the new one. Today, he scratched his car (fairly badly) on the way into our car park. I think, as he was doing us a huge favour, we should pay to repair the damage. DP disagrees, and maintains that it was an accident, and if anything, was FIL's fault for not paying attention. DP adores his Dad btw, just reckons that he is a bit dopey.

I disagree. If FIL wasn't helping us move, he would not have damaged his car at all. So, we should pay to repair the damage.

AIBU? We are skint atm, as I have recently been made redundant, and I know DP stresses about money, but his Dad is on a pension, and I really think it would be shitty to not pay for the damage he sustained to his vehicle whilst helping us...

the car still works - why does the scratch have to be fixed - its a scratch.

Ah I know Custardo, but FIL loves his car (it's nothing terribly special, a 5 year old Opel Meriva), and takes great care of it. He cleans it daily, polishes and waxes it weekly. He is retired and bored, so loves looking after his car, keeping it well, and bringing the grandchildren out in it. Hence, I feel gutted that he scratched it. FIL and MIL have bugger all money, there is no way he could afford to fix it himself.

Could you not offer to pay half? Might make everyone a bit happier with the whole thing.

MD, am PMSL at the thought of luring FIL into an attack car park The town I live in is fairly rough, but I don't think we have reached the point where tarmacadam is randomly attacking cars

Okay, perhaps I am just a touch too soft.

Oh MD, I do have some T-Cut, which may sort the paintwork, but the black plastic bumper is in shite.

Frida - thing is, FIL is adamant that it's grand (but he'd say that, so as not to put any financial pressure on us), as is DP. Might just insist on having my mechanic come fix it.

PS, MD - Venice Beach? Ah, love it! I once bought ah awesome brooch on Abbot Kinney Blvd . I also once broke a toe, falling down my spiral staircase. It's a bitch. .

Try getting a quote from Chips Away, i used them when i scraped my car on a wall. They do the repair on your driveway and are usually a fraction of the cost quoted by garages.

I think you should go 50:50 on the repair.yes it was your Fil's fault, but he sounds lovely and i suspect having a scratched car would upset him.

If you had scratched it, I would say yes, you were totally responsible.

But he didn't scratch it because he was helping you. He happened to scratch it while he was helping you, that's a totally different matter.

However, if you could afford it, then it would be a nice thing to do. But you can't afford it.

Perhaps, as someone up thread said - go halves?

Whoops, forgot to come back to this thread

Holly and Hec, yes FIL is lovely (and his scratched car did upset him), so we have gone halves on the repairs. Bless him, he now keeps telling us he 'owes us a favour'. The Dote.

Thanks much Ladies

Insurance? I could claim for two "my faults" and still not lose no claims bonus.