How much to pay neighbour for theft

[tippietoppy2]

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

🙄 at multiple kids in private schools, do you have any idea how much that costs? Many people really struggle with that cost. If anything I would assume you have the higher disposable income based on that one fact alone. In terms of what’s fair though I would say a like for like replacement or the insurance excess. If they query it just tell them that you can’t afford any more but want to do the right thing.

If the gate was left unlocked it likely invalidated their insurance.

Agree with chilledbee.
I would ask for a picture and why not secure the invisable bike.

I'd tell him that you'll pay the insurance excess and any increase in premium costs next year due to the claim, but otherwise you'll need to go through police details etc. I personally don't believe anyone would store a semi expensive bike in a communal garden with a chain that can be cut with bolt cutters (even 20 years ago when I had an expensive bike there were very cheap D locks that were Unbreakable. Personally I don't believe him, but I'd possibly pay a little bit to maintain neighbourly relations (although now he's asked for a new bike you're probably passed that!)

Don't pay anything for all the reasons mentioned above! I can't believe your neighbours have the cheek to ask you to pay for a brand new bike. This alone is reason enough not to care about whether or not they are happy with your decision.

How do you know it was one of your guests leaving it open?

Reasonable to get the police report - or report yourself - and check why they think they should not claim on their insurance. You are not responsible for something being stolen unless you steal it, so you actually don't owe them anything.

Are you usually a doormat? You don’t pay anything.

They left their very expensive bike in a communal garden secured with a bike lock that was so flimsy it could be cut using bolt cutters. If they were asking for an insurance excess of £50 I might pay to buy some neighbourly good will, but they’re taking the piss. They took some risks which ultimately didn’t pay off. If you pay now you’ll find all sorts of other expensive items getting ‘stolen’ every time you have guests over.

I would contact my own insurers for advice.

I’d expect there to be a police report.

I’d expect someone that had £550 worth of property outside to have adequate insurance.

I actually don’t think that’s very much for a decent bike, but it’s more than I’d be happy to lose so I would have it insured.

If there own insurers pay out I’d pay the excess.

If they don’t, I think it would be that the neighbours weren’t compliant/covered and that this was an accident waiting to happen. On that basis maybe £100 depending on how much you enjoy the prospect of cordial relations.

It's the neighbours responsibility. A bike of that value should be indoors, not in a private or communal garden. Even the best bike locks can be cut through in 5 minutes.
Whether your guest left the gate open for half an hour is not the point.
I'd have a lot more sympathy if the neighbour had a fifty pound bike that got stolen

Dont pay up unless you have a full crime report - this is likely to be a scam

Frankly it all sounds a bit dodgy to me. An opportunist thief has to have turned up within a 45 minute window with his boltcutters? What are the odds?

1. You don't know if their bike was stolen.
2. You don't know, if it was stolen, if it was stolen within that incredibly short window.
3. You don't know if one of your guests definitely left the gate unlocked. ( "one of our guests must not have secured the side gate properly" sounds like you're trying to deduce, rather than know for a fact)

Contents insurance covers bikes. They should be claiming on that. Of course, the insurance company will want the police number - do you know if they've actually reported the alleged theft?

My back is immediately put up by them just sending you an invoice – I assume this means you've had no actual full discussion with them about it? It's not very polite or diplomatic of them.

I agree with posters saying it should have been insured and that the bolt cutters suggests strongly that it wasn't just opportunistic.

I'd talk to them face to face if possible and say that what you were happy to pay was the insurance excess (I'd say this in an 'of course you would have had it insured' manner), and that you'd transfer the money on production of the insurance and the police reports.

I wouldn't pay anything at all, OP. How can they say the theft only happened because the gate was left open. What would have stopped someone climbing over the gate and stealing the bike? Especially if they already (allegedly) had bolt croppers so was clearly not just a crime of opportunity.

And just so all you people saying "ask for a police report' know, a police report means absolute jack shit. You can easily report a theft like this with no proof whatsoever that the stolen item even existed, it's really not hard at all. All you do is ring 101 and say such and such was stolen from my garden overnight, they ask all the usual questions such any CCTV? Nope. Any witnesses? Nope. Ok here's your crime number, the report is filed. Job done.

If you are sure it is the fault of your guests then it would be nice to pay the excess on that insurance claim

This is what I was going to say.

I have multiple kids in nursery, which costs the same per child as a private school per child. We are an ordinary family

multiple kids in private schools, do you have any idea how much that costs? Many people really struggle with that cost. If anything I would assume you have the higher disposable income based on that one fact alone.

Oh come off it!

You need the crime report to file the insurance claim.
The OP did not steal the bike.
Infact there is no proof who is at fault.
Was the bike seen in the garden?
Can you open the gate from the inside?
Can you enter the garden over a wall?
Who has bolt cutters on them?
How big was the chain?
Did you see the cut chain?
Do not pay.

I’d pay the excess for the insurance on the bike for them but to be honest there’s no saying when the bike was stolen ....

I would not pay a penny. You don’t know for sure that your guest left the gate open - it could have been anyone. You don’t know that the bike was stolen during that period, or whether it was worth that amount, or indeed if it even existed. Tell them to claim on their insurance!

I also would only offer to pay the excess on their insurance claim IF you're sure the bike was stolen and during that time period. Ask to see a copy of the police report ... if not report, no claim, no payment by you towards it.

I'm doubtful, tbh, as evidenced by them taking the absolute piss with their response asking for the cost of a new bike with their bank details. Entitled fuckers.

This is how rich people stay rich - i wouldn't pay them a penny.

your neighbours are massively taking the piss.
There is 0 evidence your guest left the gate unlocked and there's extremely little chance that a thief was walking past in that short space of time with bolt cutters ready to steal the bike, even if tbe gse was unlocked,which is what you should tell your c.f neightbour.
I can't understand why you rushed in offering to pay for a bike that you didnt steal.

If the gate was left unlocked it likely invalidated their insurance.

That would still make it the neighbours' fault for leaving the bike in the garden, given that they simply could not guarantee that the gate would be kept locked at all times.

If they report the theft to the police, then the insurance should cover it.
I dont think you need to contribute at all.