Daughter caught shoplifting

[kellycole]

What is the name of your state? Maine

My 17 year old daughter was caught shoplifting at a Department store. We received a court date. I just got a letter from the Dept Store stating that we need to pay them $200 for restitution. They stated that if I don’t pay this within a month, they will take me to court and will go after the legal fees also. Do I really need to pay this along with the fee that I will get from when she goes to court. What if I don’t?

 

[stealth2]

My 17 year old daughter was caught shoplifting at a Department store. We received a court date. I just got a letter from the Dept Store stating that we need to pay them $200 for restitution. They stated that if I don’t pay this within a month, they will take me to court and will go after the legal fees also. Do I really need to pay this along with the fee that I will get from when she goes to court. What if I don’t?

The court date your daughter was assigned is presumably for criminal charges. The dept store is well within its rights to demand restitution from your daughter. If she/you don't pay, the store can sue her/you for the $200 originally demanded, court costs and additional fees. And they'll probably be awarded them.

Personally, as the parent of two teens, I don't think YOU should pay anything. Your daughter should. She made the choice to steal - she can suffer the consequences.

And thank her for me for increasing costs for those of us who work our butts off to pay for the things we want. We appreciate it.

 

[Antigone*]

This is an all-to-common post, so I've just copied and pasted.

As a parent I feel for you, having said that we all know that accountability is a difficult lesson to teach and you have a great opportunity here to teach it. Take your child have her present herself to actually make the payment and offer an apology. Make her work off every bit of that debt to you. Show it to her on paper - this way she sees the debt in black and white. Cutting lawns, washing cars, dog walking, whatever it takes.

The mere fact that the store has to pay for extra security to take care of these types of potential losses is "damage" enough. You and I have to pay more for products because people are arrogant and feel entitled - so they shoplift.

I've made it very clear to my teenager (she and her friends love the mall) that if I ever get a phone call from the police to come pick her up because either she or her friends have done something wrong, that I will tell the officer to have her make herself at home. If she wants to behave like a thug, she can experience a thug life behind bars until I'm good and ready to come get her.

This may not be the "legal advice" you are seeking here but if we teach our children character, then maybe, just maybe legal advice would not be a necessity.