How to handle a damaged arcade game - cost and safety

What is the name of your state? Michigan

My son was involved in the tipping-over over of a crane arcade game at a motel while on a sports trip with his team. These are one of those games where you deposit a quarter and try and lift a stuffed-animal with a claw up and over to the outlet. He and several other boys (from his team and another team) were playing it and my son apparently tried to tip it in an attempt to move the stuffed animals. The game was on wheels and wheels slide out and game went over on its side. The glass sides were broken. All of the parents were just down the hall when it happened. My son was honest about tipping it – good for him in spite of the dumb move. The coach stepped forward and left his name.

The arcade game was owned by a vending company. They repaired it and sent the bill to the motel which sent it to us. The bill shows:

Pick up drop off charge $150
Front glass $25
Side glass $35
Back glass $25
Top mirror $13
Back mirror $25
Top glass $13
Art work on glass $21
Labor $180 4 hrs at $45/hour
Lost revenue $175 10 days at $17.50/day
Lamp/aluminum wind $40
Replaced animals $183 146 @ $1.25/each

Total $847


We expect to pay something as our son was responsible. Our concerns are:

The repair estimate seems slightly inflated. How do we handle this?

And our major concern is safety. Our son is small for his age of 14. Probably weighs less than 100 lbs and is only 5’ 1”. The arcade game was tall (higher than him) and ON WHEEELS. The wheels are the key. They caused the machine to slide out from under the game and over. Luckily, it did not end up on someone – a small child. The vending company doesn’t seem to be concerned about this – “we haven’t had a problem before”. We feel this is a safety hazard that should be addressed. If our small son was able to get one to tip over, it will happen again and next time maybe not so lucky. How to handle this?

We have contacted the vending company and they seem firm on the repair cost.

Open your hand, take forefinger and thumb, place them around the left earlobe of your son, press the fingers together and pull ...

You will be heading in the general direction of an attorney to whom you will present the bill from the vending company, the COMPLETE story from your son and (if possible) the coach and any other persons at the scene and you will allow the attorney to make a judgement whether or not you should pay the enitre amount requested or settle for a lesser amount OR file suite for attractive nuiance against the motel and the vending company.

your reasons for not paying the bill - the machine was dangerous - are not valid reasons.

do you have any evidence that the machine could be repaired for a lesser amount? If no, then you are stuck for paying the bill.

Whether or not the machine was on wheels or that someone could have been hurt does not diminish your son's responsibility for the damage to the machine. the admission of your son that he was trying to tip the machine over to move the toys is enough to find him liable for the total amount.

Just be lucky no one was hurt. Guess who would be on the hook for injuries?

Would this type of payment be deductable

Would this type of payment be deductable on taxes?

Re: Would this type of payment be deductable

superboiler said:

Would this type of payment be deductable on taxes?

Click to expand...

My response:

Yes, on line 40, Schedule E. The instructions state, "In the prior tax year, have you, or anyone in your family, tipped over and damaged an Arcade game? If so, place the amount of damages you actually paid on line 40, and deduct 40% - - and only 20% if your child was grounded for 30 days or longer."

IAAL

He is in rare form tonight

Okay...I knew was a stretch. I was hoping to save some on the cost of a good military school.