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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How much to pay neighbour for theft

379 replies

tippietoppy2 · 29/09/2019 15:03

We live in London in a converted building where there are several flats. We had some guests over to the communal garden, and during the visit one of our guests must not have secured the side gate properly (for a max of 30/45min). Our neighbour later said their bike, which they had secured with a bike chain, got stolen (they told us thief cut through chain with bolt cutters).
We were very apologetic to our neighbour, and asked if we could contribute towards the bike. Our neighbour has sent us an invoice for the bike purchase of £525 from 2017 and their bank account. They asked us to send them £550 to buy the current model.
We feel terrible their bike got stolen. We want to be a good and considerate neighbour, and want to contribute financially towards the bike. But TBH I was shocked by the amount they are asking for. We were not expecting to buy them a brand new bike. It's not like we stole the bike ourselves. We are not familiar with the bike involved, nor seen a police report for the theft.
We have not even bought brand new bikes for ourselves or our kids ever, always purchasing our family bikes (and even our children's buggies) 2nd hand. We also don't have the budget to pay them £550.
Our neighbour is evidently extremely wealthy with multiple kids in private schools (we are an ordinary family with kids in free state schools). Possibly they might not understand £550 is a huge amount to a normal family.
How much is fair and reasonable to pay towards the neighbours stolen bike?
a) £550
b) £275 - half the price of another brand new bike
c) £250 - full cost of a 2nd hand bike (eg buy same model on ebay/gumtree)
d) £125 - half the price of another 2nd hand bike
e) see if they can claim it under their home and contents insurance, and we contribute towards the excess. The bike was chained right outside their front door. Although I suspect they probably didn't report the theft to the police
f) £100 - goodwill gesture
Any other idea's or suggestions appreciated. Would like to try to resolve it so we all feel comfortable and happy.
PS The Freehold building insurance doesn't cover personal property

OP posts:
dietcokemum · 30/09/2019 21:04

I would pay their insurance excess on proof that they have made a claim.

ShelaghDC · 30/09/2019 21:10

Neither you nor they can say for certain it was one of your guests that left the gate unsecured. You offered to contribute towards a replacement, but you were under no legal obligation to do so. You are not liable in any way, so my advice to you is to refuse to pay anything. If there is nothing in writing from you offering a contribution then you're fine.

LifeImplosionImminent · 30/09/2019 21:12

If it was definitely one of your guests who left the gate unsecured and as a result their bike was stolen then I would say you are partly responsible because if it wasn't for your party they would still have a bike so not contributing anything would be a dick move...but at the same time an expensive bike should be insured so offering to pay the excess is a reasonable thing to do IMO.

ShelaghDC · 30/09/2019 21:17

Further to my previous post, if bolt cutters were used on the bike's lock who's to say they weren't used on the gate? Also, can it be proven when the bike went missing, if in fact it did?
Never make any offer that could be construed as taking responsibility. In other words, keep gob shut!

Goodenoughisgoodenough · 30/09/2019 21:28

I think Mummy2017 response is good, but also I would be tempted to try and have a conversation with them, rather than notes etc. It's often much easier to maintain relationships by talking, rather than sending emails/writing notes etc. It may enable them to be more understanding of your financial circumstances. I think £500 is far too much to contribute, as you say, you didn't steal the bike! I would suggest that you cover their insurance excess, and if they aren't insured you would contribute a sum roughly equivalent. ie £125 (half the cost of a second hand bike) Perhaps your guest might chip in too? I know I would if I were the guest and thought my error was costing you money. I'd be mortified. !

BackOnceAgainWithABurnerEmail · 30/09/2019 21:35

They left a £££ bike with a vulnerable lock in a communal garden... it’s on them. I kept mine locked in a shed with no windows in a garden with no back access and had it nicked in London.

Standard insurance bike cover is c£500 in my experience. They need to claim.

TheBigFatMermaid · 30/09/2019 21:39

The bike was not new and Judge Rinder says compensation is meant to put you in the same position as you would have been before the loss, not be better off, as hey would be if you paid for a new bike! Pay for the second had one. Having said that, why do they not have insurance?

Ticketybootoo · 30/09/2019 21:40

Make sure they have reported to the police and pay the excess on the insurance if you want to be kind . You don’t know if it was one of your guests who left gate open . Good Luck !

Watsername · 30/09/2019 21:43

I would not be paying for it all. Yes, the gate was unlocked, but your guest did not unlock the bike or provide bolt cutters to the thief. The chain was the issue, not the gate. Leaving a bike out anywhere is an inherant risk.

threatmatrix · 30/09/2019 21:45

Surely if they are that well off they would have had insurance. I would definitely want to see receipts of any kind.

thegreylady · 30/09/2019 21:46

So wouldn’t feel I needed to pay anything at all.
a) you didn’t steal the bike
b) you didn’t leave the gate open
c) you didn’t leave an expensive bike outside

FieldsOf · 30/09/2019 21:56
Confused
Moominfan · 30/09/2019 22:02

Think grey ladies nailed it

anything at all.
a) you didn’t steal the bike
b) you didn’t leave the gate open
c) you didn’t leave an expensive bike outside

morrisseysquif · 30/09/2019 22:09

Agree with all the comments made about police number, insurance and the fact they can't prove when the bike was stolen.

They are grabby chancers (and this is probably why they are rich, and you aren't.)

Untamedtoad · 30/09/2019 22:13

How do they know it was the fault of one of your guests anyway? Leaving an expensive bike unattended in a communal garden of a block of flats is asking for trouble. How can they be sure it wasn't another resident that stole the bike? If someone else living there has noticed the hike, what times it's unattended and what times the garden usually isn't in use, owners out etc, it would give plenty of opportunity to take it and sell it on. There must be quite a few people with direct, legal access to the garden, so singling out you and your guest as being at fault for not securing the gate doesn't seem fair when it could have been stolen by any number of people. I personally would retract my offer to pay them anything, but if you do feel truly obliged to do so, demand a copy of the police report, and their insurance documents so you can contribute towards the excess liability, and nothing more. You could give them the money for a brand new bike and they could then claim on their insurance anyway and pocket the cash. Surely they have insurance to cover an expensive bike that's regularly left in a communal area, and if not, this is a lesson for them to make sure they get some!

RhinoskinhaveI · 30/09/2019 22:14

550 quid is not an expensive bike 3 grand plus is an expensive bike!
Anyway that's besides the point, they are having a fucking laugh

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 30/09/2019 22:21

I’d have to say oh I’m sorry, you misunderstand, I can make a contribution to the insurance excess on proof of an insurance claim. I can’t possibly afford to replace a two year old bike with a new one, especially as there’s no proof at all that I’m in any way responsible.

And to be honest £3k isn’t a lot these days either, professional racing bikes cost tends of thousands.

Weedinosaurus · 30/09/2019 22:23

I wouldn’t pay either for many of the reasons already stated. They most likely will be covered by their house insurance. On our policy bikes up to £500 don’t have to be declared. I know there’s was slightly more but if they get £500 that’s close enough...

Interestedwoman · 30/09/2019 22:28

If they're that posh, as PP's have mentioned, I bet they probably have good insurance which covers it. If you had a lot of money I would say half, but as you don't, I'd say £100. You could perhaps say, 'I'm really sorry, we can't afford more than that.'

I'm also cynical like some of the other PP's. It sounds really bad luck that their bike was stolen in such a short time window.

Totaldogsbody · 30/09/2019 22:34

Were you and your guests in the communal area if so surely you would have saw someone with bolt cutters cutting through a bike lock? If not and someone left the gate open how do you know it was one of your guests. It could easily have been someone visiting one of the other houses. Tell them you've thought about it but dont think you'll pay anything as they have no proof the missing bike has anything to do with you.

Catastrophejane · 30/09/2019 22:45

Pay nothing. And I’m saying that as someone who had a £1000 bike stolen recently from a shared bike shed. There is no evidence it was stolen when people left the gate open. They left the bike in a communal area where there is always a risk of theft. In my experience in London, if you leave a bike outside, it’s going to get nicked. If you really want to be kind, pay the excess on their insurance. But quite frankly, I think they are being greedy.

gymraes · 30/09/2019 22:46

Doesn't the building have security cameras? I know this wouldn't be of much use to catch the thief but it might prove who exactly left the gate open AND the make & model of the bike so that you might have an idea of the original cost.

MaggieMcSplash · 30/09/2019 22:59

This could have happened at anytime whilst everyone was at work. I would give a token gesture if you really feel responsible. Maybe just the excess on their insurance or half of it. Not a new bike.

Carriecakes80 · 30/09/2019 23:23

Sorry, but if a thief can nick a bloody padlocked bike, they can get through a gate!

Pay nothing, offer them a goodwill gesture if you like, but there is absolutely no proof that the bike was stolen through any fault of you and your guests.

Notodontidae · 30/09/2019 23:27

Yeh, I'm with the "lets see the police report" What if the bicycle is recovered? It seems likely that a gate wouldn't have stopped the theft if they used bolt croppers, they must have arrived tooled up.
An offer of £100 to maintain a neighbourly relationship seems reasonable, but only after a police investigation. Padlocks and chains are unfortunately easily cut with bolt cutters, a child can use them. The Police should have been called to verify that it was not one of your guests, however awkward that makes you feel.

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