Am i liable?

[smakme7757]

I and a few other colleagues were invited to one of our work mates houses for a few drinks last friday night.

The guy who owned the house had a surround sound speaker sat up on two concrete blocks behind his couch which we were all sitting on. I sat down and bumped the couch into the concrete blocks which made his speaker fall off and hit the ground.

Today (a whole week later) the guy came up to me at work and said, although he hasn't checked, that i broke his speaker and that he purchased them 10 years ago, so he can't buy a replacement. So i have to buy him a whole new surround system which will cost me $1000

Firstly he hasn't checked to see if it works, which seems very bizarre and he also wasn't too keen on me sourcing a replacement on Ebay for him. Secondly considering the age of the system i could buy it off him for maybe $200.

I can't see how he can ask me for $1000 because of a 10 year old broken speaker, i'm not really involved with much 'Law' stuff, but can he really hold me liable for a complete new sound system?

 

[zinfamous]

guy is an idiot. fuck him.

btw, the first sentence as worded--suggests that you were sitting on the speaker, and not the couch. heh.

 

[Macamus Prime]

Tell him to secure his speakers next time. I wouldn't give him a single cent.

And, let him take you to court or whatever, no one is going to hold you liable. Plus, for him to ask you for $1,000, it's just a bully move - tell him to fuck off.

 

[highland145]

Hell no. Depreciated to less than zero. He should pay you.


Need to borrow a gun to make your point?

 

[moshquerade]

you are not liable. sounds like a terrible set up and he can eat it.

 

[Jeeebus]

I'm going out on a limb here, but I don't think we have too many Norwegian legal scholars amongst us.

 

[rudder]

Tell him you are going to sue him for the scare you got when you bumped the speaker.

 

[highland145]

I'm going out on a limb here, but I don't think we have too many Norwegian legal scholars amongst us.

We're ALL Norwegian legal scholars. Just ask me.

 

[OCGuy]

Yes, pay now or suffer.

 

[highland145]

Tell him you are going to sue him for the scare you got when the speaker almost crushed you.

fixed.

 

[dpodblood]

No you aren't. Tell Douchey McDouche to get real speaker stands next time.

 

[smakme7757]

btw, the first sentence as worded--suggests that you were sitting on the speaker, and not the couch. heh.

Hehe oops.

Thanks for the replies, Norwegian law is pretty much the same as most western countries. So that's why i asked here .

Yea i thought it was absurd, i personally wouldn't ask for money at all had someone done it at my place. I appreciate the feedback it pretty much backs up what my wife said .

 

[spidey07]

Dude sounds like a total dick. And if something IS broke he can easily get replacement parts from the manufacturer for under 50 bucks.

 

[blackdogdeek]

wear a neck brace to work on monday and print out a fake but authentic-looking letter with some made up legal advisor's name at the top and state that you are suing him for injuries suffered at his residence.

videotape his reaction and post to this thread and youtube.

 

[busydude]

Only a moron uses concrete blocks as speaker stand INSIDE the house.

 

[HAL9000]

Definitely not, fuck him.

 

[Gooberlx2]

If you were a total oaf and moved the Earth when you flopped on to the couch, it might be a courteous thing to contribute something to the cost of a speaker. It's also totally fair to search ebay for an identical replacement speaker.

Asking $1000 without even checking is weird. If he wants to be dick about it, then he can go fuck himself.

 

[Jeeebus]

Definitely not, fuck him.

I would think refusing to pay him would get the point across. Not sure what having sex with him is going to prove.

 

[OCGuy]

I would think refusing to pay him would get the point across. Not sure what having sex with him is going to prove.

It shows dominance.

 

[Jeeebus]

It shows dominance.

A proper stance is all a real man needs. Amateurs resort to man-sex.

 

[Imp]

Tell him to go to hell. Should have secured his speaker or his couch properly.

Liable to whom? If he calls the cops, they'll laugh in his face.

Take it to small claims court and fault will be split. You'll probably end up paying him the proportion of fault you were assigned on the depreciated value. $50?

 

[trmiv]

Tell him if he bends over you have a great place to stick that speaker so it won't fall next time.

 

[RavenSEAL]

Give him 10 bucks and tell him to fuck off.

 

[Juddog]

Personally I can see it two ways.
1) You did break the speaker by being clumsy. So you do have at least some responsibility. Obviously the guy was an idiot for putting them on concrete blocks behind the couch though.
2) Buying a whole new surround sound setup is ridiculous. If the speaker is repairable, then fix it up, if not, then find an equivalent surround and price it out on ebay. Chances are that you can find a speaker with the exact same specs for fairly cheap.

 

[highland145]

Tell him if he bends over you have a great place to stick that speaker so it won't fall next time.

Is this the "Speaking out of one's a**" that I've heard about?