Should i Be charged for ...?

Question

I was arrested for underage drinking in january. I have been to my intake and assigned 7 alochol awareness sessions.

This is the story in short. I got drunk with a friend at his farm. well the grandmother that hates him has a house that was close to where we were. We got into a fight and he left his girlfriend and I at the farm to take his baby home. well i walked to the closest house. Now its 1-2 am and i am totally plastered. I started Knocking on the door. she called the cops and they came out. Well apparently she said i was trying to kick the door down. my foor print was on the door. however i wasent trying to break in. It was Cold and i was Drunk. No malacious destruction of property charges were pressed thanks to the police. However now she is trying to make me pay $2700.00 for a door that was said to have no apparent damage. Shoudlesnt her Homeowners insurance cover the door. since there were no Charges pressed on me.???

Answer 1

Her homeowner's insurance might pay for the door, but I can guarantee you that the insurance company will come after YOU for restitution. That will probaby cost you a LOT more than she is demanding.

The fact that you were drunk isn't a defense. You are still liable for your own actions and if you are a minor your parents can be held liable as well.

You lucked out on the charges. For now. If you don't fess up and clear this matter, it is NOT too late to press charges and REALLY screw up your life.

Answer 2

Honey, you don't need CHARGES pressed upon you in order to be liable!!

So. First of all, if there's damage to the door, you had a footprint on it, and there's a police report that puts you at the scene, it's pretty much an open and shut case.

Her homeowners policy will have a DEDUCTIBLE on it, which could easily be $1,000. Also, if she does file a claim, it counts against HER.

So, any court is going to find you liable for this door, sorry. The QUESTION is, is $2700 a reasonable amount. You can get a HELL of a door for that much money - her ACTUAL cost of the door is probably well under her deductible - which is why she's going to sue you.

But she'll win. Your only hope is to convince the judge that you REALLY only owe her $400.

And now for the worse news . . . most states, if you're caught drinking underage, EVEN IF YOU AREN'T DRIVING, you'll get your drivers license suspended. Good luck on your car insurance.

Answer 3

If there was damage on the door, it should be on the police report.

I'm wondering about the $2700. Was that a solid gold door or something? I can go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a door for a couple hundred dollars. What's with the $2700?

And yes, if she has insurance, they would cover it. However, insurance has the right to collect back anything they pay out from another party if they were at fault. In other words, even if her insurance DID pay, they could still come after you to collect any money they paid out, back from you.

Even if they didn't press charges against you specifically for property destruction, that doesn't mean that there was no property damage. If you did damage the door, you are liable for it.

I would find out where she's coming up with that amount of money though. That's one hell of a door she has there if it really cost $2700.

Answer 4

If you did the damage, you (or your parents if you are under 18) are responsible for the repairs. Damage is done all the time where no charges are files, but it doesn't make you any less responsible. Before paying $2700 though, I would want to make very sure that the old door was worth that much, and that much damage was done. She is only entitled to the value of the door that was damaged, not how much she spent on a new one.

Answer 5

If you did the damage you are responsible. You don't have to be criminally charged for something to have to pay for it.

Now $2,700 seems excessive, get your own estimates and negotiate.

And as far as someone having insurance...your house is insured, if I smashed every window, am I not responsible because you have homeowners?

AND STOP DRINKING!!!!

Answer 6

underage drinking is against the law. think twice before you break the law.