Contractors caused damage to garage door, who is at fault?

[AZ939]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Massachusetts

I have a garage with both an automatic garage door opener and a manual garage lock (twist knob that pushes out 2 lock bars that block the ability of the garage door from being lifted up). The system is not integrated to know that the manual lock is engaged, so if you try to have the garage door opener open the door while the manual lock is engaged the opener will warp/snap the bars (along with other potential damage).

Contractors came to pave my driveway. In doing so, I am certain one of them played around with the lock engage for some reason, not sure why, and ended up engaging the locks. When I later went to open the doors, not knowing the locks had been engaged, it caused damage to the locks and doors. Reason I know it was them was I used the door just prior to them coming, and nobody else was near my house, and then I opened the door just after they left. To engage the locks is a deliberate action -- it is not just a button push, but you actually have to go up to the door and twist a large knob handle 90 degrees, so not something one would forget doing or could do without knowing.

Is the contractor responsible for the damage? I was home during the work, and nobody from the team 1) asked me to interact with my garage or 2) told me they had twisted the handles on the garage doors (which should have been a red flag that when you twisted it and it made a loud "click" you had done -SOMETHING- you may want to let the owners know about).

 

[You Are Guilty]

At this point, you have no proof of anything other than damages. Has the contractor admitted to screwing with the handle? (Have you even asked?)

Even then, depending on why (if) they did it, I am not sure turning a handle will qualify as negligence.

 

[BigMouthWino]

So you're saying you had people working in and around the garage and you didn't make sure the lock wasn't engaged prior to YOU pressing the automatic door opener?

Sounds to me like this is your fault, not the contractors. How do you know you didn't set the lock and forget about it? Did you put in your contract with the contractor that none of his employees shall engage the lock?

And I doubt they were "playing around with it." If they did do it their intention was more likely to secure your property prior to leaving the job site.