Who pays for the window broken by snowball?

[Toloveandtowork]

Wondering if anyone can offer advice.

My son, 11, and his friend, also 11, were out playing in the snow a few days ago. They threw snowballs at a neighbours window and my son's friend broke a window pane.
Cost £125 for repair.

The friend's mother paid for it, and knocked on my door today and asked for half the money. This was the first I heard about this incident as my son didn't tell me.

I spoke to her son earlier and he said it was him that broke the window.

There is ring doorbell evidence of the boys walking past and the sound of smashing glass.

Should I pay?

If I had plenty of money, I'd rather pay and keep the peace. However, I'm going through a very though time financially and don't even have enough for Christmas. Nothing bought yet and an unexpected £60 is not what I need now.

That sounds awful. I don't know what I'd do. Pay if I could. If I definitely knew it wasn't my son then I don't suppose I would.

They were both throwing snowballs at the window. The damage was cumulative.

Yes, you pay. I'm sure your son's friend's mum can't afford it any more than you can

Sorry but you do need to pay, they were both throwing snowballs

Maybe one less Christmas present for your son and tell him why. Wouldn’t stop all his presents though that would be cruel.

They were both throwing snowballs so I would say its joint responsibility its just down to luck which snowball broke the window. The other mother has paid upfront so I would ask her if you can pay her in installments.

Of course you pay. Take a present away and explain that actions have consequences

You should pay. It was of their behaviours that caused the damage. If it was your son you wouldn't have wanted to pay £125

Yep, they were both at it. Unlucky for the friend that his snowball broke a window… but they are both responsible. Pay.

Your son should pay as much as he can.

Run with the crows, liable to get shot. I would pay.

You should pay. They were both doing it and you don’t know that your son’s didn’t cause a small crack first leading the friends snowball breaking it completely.

That poor person having to deal with a broken window in this weather.

You need to pay, and you need to teach your child to not be a little thug.

Thing is, if it was son my that broke the window, there is no way I'd be asking the other mum for half the money. I'm not sure it would even cross my mind.

It wasn't cumulative damage. It was one hit at that particular house. They walked and threw. My son said the friend made the snowballs too compact and threw too hard.

She's chasing me for the money now. I have told her I will pay, I'm just stalling a bit more while I get some advice on here.

Both of you should pay and take it from his Xmas box (phrase my dad used to say). Or make him do jobs to pay for it.

Of course you pay, you can return some of his presents to cover the cost. It's a natural consequence.

Lol what. This is not how the law works. If one person breaks a window and his friend is beside him and does not then they are not liable for criminal damage. Do not pay.

I think you should pay half . They were both throwing the snowballs

Joint enterprise? They were both doing it and it was his friends that broke the window. Yes I would pay and ground him too.
Funny he didn't mention it?

you definitely should pay. You said yourself they were both throwing snowballs.

This!!
I absolutely would not pay. I Would need to be 100% sure my son wasn't the window breaker though.

Yes you should pay half. Lesson learned for both boys.

they were both playing, either one could have thrown the snowball, you should pay half

If you want to be kind and keep the friendship then tell her you will pay but have zero money right now

If you want to burn it say no your son did it tell him to get a paper round or wash cars clean ice off paths whatever he can do to make the money

I think you should pay half.The thing is, would either of the boys have gone out and thrown snowballs at people's houses on their own? No doubt they were egging each other on.

I wouldn't pay. Her son breaks a window with a hard snow ball thrown hard at a window. Why should your son take responsibility if he didn't throw a snowball at the window? He wasn't the only other child throwing snowballs that day. They shouldn't all have to pay when they didn't break any windows.