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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:
Grambler · 30/09/2019 11:43

At the moment there's no proof:

  • the bike was stolen at all
  • the bike was stolen from your property
  • the bike was stolen during your party
  • the bike was stolen during your party when your guest left a gate open

For all you know, the bike got nicked last week but they thought they'd get their own back for the noise of your party to blame you.

Tensixtysix · 30/09/2019 11:45

They are taking the piss! It should be covered under their own house insurance. They are chancers, don't give them anything!

DarlingNikita · 30/09/2019 11:45

Ash39, I completely agree. One request for insurance/police details and I bet the OP will never hear from them again!

OP, you're being oddly quiet/reticent on this thread. Have you spoken or replied to them yet?

PinkFlamingo888 · 30/09/2019 11:58

They can report it to the police and claim on their insurance. Perhaps you could pay the excess as a goodwill gesture but ask for the paperwork as proof of what the excess is.

Harriedharriet · 30/09/2019 14:06

What happened OP?

Icantthinkofanewname87 · 30/09/2019 14:10

I wouldn’t give a penny!

NumbersStation · 30/09/2019 14:18

OP
Have they approached any of your other neighbours? Or just you? Is it possible another neighbour left the gate unlocked? What if they are all guilted into paying something?

I know that a police report does not prove theft as someone pointed out, but it might give you a timeline. It is possible that it didn’t disappear when they said it did.

I’m in agreement that they probably won’t be happy unless they get the full amount they’ve requested and so I suspect neighbourly relations are going to be different from now on.

You didn’t steal it. You have no idea if your guests left the gate open. Yet you are requested to pay £550?

Something smells off.

TanyaChix · 30/09/2019 14:31

I think I’d change my approach and say that your initial offer to give them a contribution was a gesture of good will but their expectation that you will now pay for a brand new bike to replace one which 1) should be insured, 2) is a theft which
you haven’t seen a police report for and 3) is a theft which isn’t something you are legally responsible for, is now making you re-evaluate your offer.

Branster · 30/09/2019 14:35

You don’t have to pay anything, it wasn’t you who stole the bike.
The matter should be reported to the police and the neighbour will have to claim on their insurance.
A third party forgot to close/lock the gate, it doesn’t make you or the third party liable for the stolen bike.
Get legal advice before you do anything - your home insurance might have legal advice service included in the policy.

Londonmummy66 · 30/09/2019 14:41

I'd drop them a note along the lines of

Dear CF Neighbour

I think that there has been some confusion. When we offered to compensate you for the loss of your bike, it was not to buy you a completely new bike but to make a contribution towards any excess you would need to cover on your contents insurance in claiming for the stolen bike. Just to clarify, we are still willing to discuss what would be a reasonable payment along those lines if you give us a copy of the paperwork for the insurance claim etc.

DonKeyshot · 30/09/2019 14:42

Just a quick reminder that the OP lives in London where if it isn't nailed down, some thief or other will have it away - and even if it is nailed down some thief or other will have a go at nicking it.

I have a large plant pot by my front door and put two bricks under it so that it could drain freely. I half expected the pot to go but some fucker stole the bricks - I kid you not! Shock

MissDew · 30/09/2019 14:44

I know that a police report does not prove theft as someone pointed out, but it might give you a timeline.

This^

If they are telling the truth then fair enough. Would they lie to the Police by making non-factual claims on the Police report ?

As a PP has said, mentioning their insurance might make their claim on you disappear. Neighbourly relations will be frosty from now on.

As a PP has remarked

MissDew · 30/09/2019 14:48

OP, you're being oddly quiet/reticent on this thread. Have you spoken or replied to them yet?

This thread has been an interesting talking point. The OP has not come back to the thread yet. This will probably be remembered in one of those, 'what was the outcome of.....' threads in a few months time.

Jaxhog · 30/09/2019 15:01

As a minimum, you need to see the police report to be sure there was actually a theft, and that they're making an effort to find it. This will also give you the approx. time of the theft. There is actually no proof that your guests even left the gate open or, if they did, that the theft occured during this time! I presume ANYONE in the flats could have left the gate open, including the owners.

It feels like a try-on, and they are probably asking other neighbours too.

If it turns out that you feel you are responsible, keep in mind that they should have insurance for an expensive bike, so the MAX I would offer is the insurance excess of 50-100. IMHO, relying on a gate accessed by many people always being closed is just stupid.

Crystal87 · 30/09/2019 17:21

Wouldn't be paying them anything. You owe them nothing, cheeky fuckers.

SarahSissions · 30/09/2019 17:29

for those saying to pay the excess on insurance, the neighbour might not wish to make a claim as subsequent years premiums are likely to increase.

yesiamgoingtoeatthat · 30/09/2019 17:32

Sorry haven't RTFT but they need to claim this on their insurance. There is no evidence that your guests left the gate open. Also, anyone could slip in the date at any time - how can they establish you / your guests are responsible?

IF they can evidence that then I might offer to pay the excess, on production of a letter from the insurance company. They will need a crime reference number in order to make a claim of course.

Good luck. I'm afraid I am cynical about situations like these!

RoisinXena · 30/09/2019 17:33

You are not responsible for the theft. The thief was. You do not owe them a penny.

ivygem · 30/09/2019 17:33

I wouldn’t give them anything - who knows what happened to the gate and the bike - do they have a camera or something?

icanbewhatiwant · 30/09/2019 17:34

I'd speak to the neighbours and make sure the police are involved. There's no proof when the bicycle was stolen so why should you pay. I'd say very unlikely it was stolen at the time you had friends going in and out the garden.

Sagradafamiliar · 30/09/2019 17:36

Madness. 'Sorry' and sweet FA is what they'd get from me.
Hope they have good insurance.

Tonnerre · 30/09/2019 17:37

for those saying to pay the excess on insurance, the neighbour might not wish to make a claim as subsequent years premiums are likely to increase.

That's up to the neighbour, though, isn't it? OP doesn't have any legal liability towards him, so if she gives him anything at all it will be purely a matter of goodwill.

Nofunkingworriesmate · 30/09/2019 17:43

Very cheeky neighbour
My bike was stolen and recovered because I put up posters locally, ask for photo of bike so you can do a poster
Wait to see if bike turns up
Insist on crime reference number and I’d pay the insurance premium only
Explain your financial situation to you neighbour as you did in your post ,

Bugbabe1970 · 30/09/2019 17:44

Tell him you want the police incident number first. I would have thought he was insured?
If not ask you friend who left the gate unlocked to contribute something also

Oscarsdaddy · 30/09/2019 17:45

Don’t pay them a penny

That’s what people have insurance for, if they haven’t got then that’s their problem not yours, sound like chancers to me