17 year old spilled water on Host family Laptop

[Mrsg26]

Wonder if someone can offer advice on what to do in this situation. My daughter is 17 and is auditioning for drama schools at present. As she is under 18 and visiting schools in London ( we live in Scotland) She has had to stay with a host family on her visits. Last night the Host offered my daughter some water but placed the glass on the kitchen table next to her laptop. My daughter picked up the glass but it slipped and some water went on the host’s laptop. The lady told my daughter last night not to worry and she dried it, she said she had a new laptop which was there in the kitchen however today The lady called me whilst my daughter was in her audition and told me it will cost £200 to repair the laptop and the expectation is for me to pay for it to be repaired.

Whilst i totally am sympathetic and sorry for what happened, as is my daughter, she didn't do it intentionally or with any malice and it was a complete accident. Part of me thinks why would she place a glass of water next to expensive equipment, as spillages often happen in kitchens. As an experienced host with lots of children in her home regularly she should be aware of these hazards. This is her business and therefore she should insure against these things.

Whilst I am not against contributing towards the repairs, I just feel that I shouldn’t have to pay for it all as they were both negligent. Any advice from other parents of teens? Thanks

I would be doing thorough research on this just in case she’s a chancer. She’s giving me chancer vibes.

Do you often bring religion into things in real life? - every day, I try my hardest to live by it. Like most people, who don't realise it yet do it subconsciously - if they abide by the societal rules and norms, if they are within the confines of the law.

She's above board when she's operating as part of the agency. Not when she goes behind their back to cut them out and make a private deal with the people she's hosting. In that circumstances I'll bet she's unregistered etc.

It's not nasty to not want to pay for an accident. Whether she's above board of not her responsibilities include having insurance for her business for accidental damage to her own or other people's stuff, by the person she's hosting. It's that insurance she should claim on. Or else pay out of her own pocket, if the insurance doesn't exist or its under the limit for a claim etc.

This is not a situation of someone coming over her house as a friend and carelessly damaging her stuff.

The OP or her DD have no legal or moral obligation to pay. The DD isn't considered an adult which is why she's had to stay with a host family in the first place. The host is responsible for her.

TBH even in the friends round your house scenario, I don't assume my mates have several hundred pounds available instantly to replace damaged items, not even if they saved up TBH, too many people live hand-to-mouth today. If someone is a dick and doesn't care if they break your stuff they're never going to pay for damages and they're not the type of person I'd want in my house anyway, however much I enjoyed their company. In an accident, well it's an accident and I'd still not expect them to pay, I'd expect to claim on my own insurance 🤷.

If someone borrowed something and broke it then I would want them to replace it - but people never do, which is why I don't lend stuff out, ever. Same way I'd never lend someone money if I actually expected it back. It's no good going around being all morally righteous, you got to accept how people actually are. Else you're going to spend your entire life disappointed by them.

She should have insurance for accidents tell her to claim

Any way you could be just ‘passing by’ with your brother and drop in and say he’ll check it over? If this was genuine I’d be pleased to have your brother look at it.

If the water just splashed on the screen, it wouldn't have done any damage. I regularly clean my screens with liquid sprayed on them and they're fine. I just wipe off immediately.

Of course you need to pay for the repairs.
It may have been an accident, but your 17 year daughter broke the laptop by spilling water on it.
By your replies and excuses as to why you shouldn't pay I highly doubt you will.
But morally you should.

Why would you not pay for the damage? How is this even a question. Jesus Christ.

The irony is that if your daughter was confident enough to get her own water from the tap, the accident would not have happened. Makes me think this woman is a bit controlling.

I think £200 is a huge amount of money and I would want a detailed bill. I'd also want to see her insurance policy...as a business she should have accidental damage, and the excess is unlikely to be £200. Moreover I agree with you, the woman is equally culpable for leaving the glass near her laptop

How do you know it’s genuine? I would want more evidence than a random amount for damage I haven’t looked at yet.

Yep! OP obviously doesn’t want to pay though. Loads of people have drinks next to laptops and don’t manage to spill them!

Me and my adult son both managed to spill drinks recently on our table in fairly quick succession. First him (me, oh be careful) soon followed by me knocking a cup over (son, haha you’re just as clumsy) followed about an hour later by one of us doing it again! We had a laugh though as no damage done.

<Double Sigh and a BIG TUT-TUT> lol :P I jest.

I understand this, yes. I work in insurance. It was negligent of the daughter to spill the water and liability would fall to her/her guardians in the first instance due to negligence. Obviously, if it was a massive sum, then perhaps the guardian should pay the excess for the policy.

The cost of repair is likely less than the excess anyway.

This could have happened round a friends house instead. The outcome would be that the homeowner may not want to register a claim on their policy (for fear if the premium rising), especially due to the amount, so the parent of the friend would likely ask the parent in this case to again pay the repair bill.

There a two types of people in this world... those who take responsibility and respect it for what it is, and those who shirk responsibility and disrespect others...

https://www.tech-tribe.co.uk/products/apple-imac-27-a1312-2009-2010-lcd-screen-lg-display-lm270wq1-sd-a2-genuine-pull-part-copy?variant=45225257566425&country=GB&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&srsltid=AfmBOoqgjkGcO3ExJaH8L3cP-JESfgWAqsxMMiXgDGrdEsqrZwEGefTyCxU

You could ask for the laptop to be sent to you and have your brother repair it.

Alarm bells would be ringing for me, 1st there’s the thing you said about cutting out the agency, presumably to save money but does that not breach some safeguarding rules and any insurance conditions.
Then the host wants you to repair a laptop she’s already replaced with a new one, I’d agree to cover the cost of the repair but after it’s been done and receive a full break down and receipt of the water damaged related repair

It is not always clear cut. My friends child damaged my laptop last year when he slammed the screen shut. It was my friend’s child who caused the damage but it was entirely my own fault for not putting it away. Therefore I accepted it to be my fault and paid for the screen repair. Never even entered my mind to ask her to pay.

You should absolutely pay for it. The woman was not negligent to put a glass of water on a table. It was an accident- but still your daughter’s fault. I’m pretty shocked by your attitude tbh.

Interesting. Even more likely to be a scam then. Most people wouldn't know because they have zero knowledge of electrics. That's why people haven't picked up on it.

That's an old laptop. I've had a few MacBooks over the years, and it's not unusual for the screens to have problems.

"It was negligent of the daughter to spill the water and liability would fall to her/her guardians in the first instance due to negligence."

In a performing arts college Homestay situation the guardian at that time would be the host.

Exactly! There's nothing thoughtless or negligent about the host putting a glass of water there.

It was an accident. But unfortunately it was your daughter who knocked over the glass.

You should pay it.

A friend's child damaging a laptop in your own home...which you admitted was your fault.... is completely different to your 17 year old daughter damaging a laptop at a host family's home.
OP, just be honest and say you've got no intention of paying for the repair.

I don't agree with you. It' s not necessary to work in insurance to understand this.

If you're actually in insurance you'd know it's pointless comparing what happens in a friend's house and what happens when you're running a business from your home. We all know that an excess means a claim is never pursued. (I've had home insurance for 50 years and also business insurance.)

For one thing, you're ignoring the fact that if this DD had been hosted through the agency, their T&Cs would provide cover and guidance on any damage.

It could be deemed negligent of the host to leave a lap top around in a kitchen with a young student there, which the student wasn't using.

Yes it’s annoying but of course you should pay. It’s unreasonable to just pay half, she can’t get half a repair done. She’s also been inconvenienced having to get quotes, take it to the repair shop and then being without a laptop for maybe a few days. She might need it for work etc. She shouldn’t have to pay for your daughter’s mistake.