greedy neighbor

[aileen1960]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? florida
My son was horsing around with some friends and accidently broke a neighbors mailbox. We told the neighbor we would purchase the materials and my son would replace it. It was a standard mail post and box that we priced out at Home Depot for $35.00. Soon after, we received a bill for $410.00!
The neighbor hired a contractor to build a new mailbox for him above and beyond what the original was. This new mailbox was much higher quality than the one my son broke. When I went to price out the materials for the rebuild, they came to no more than $50.00. (The contractor charged use $165.00 for the materials alone) I know this is a grossly inflated price, but the neighbor says he will sue if we do not pay the full amount. What are my options?

 

[Antigone*]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? florida
My son was horsing around with some friends and accidently broke a neighbors mailbox. We told the neighbor we would purchase the materials and my son would replace it. It was a standard mail post and box that we priced out at Home Depot for $35.00. Soon after, we received a bill for $410.00!
The neighbor hired a contractor to build a new mailbox for him above and beyond what the original was. This new mailbox was much higher quality than the one my son broke. When I went to price out the materials for the rebuild, they came to no more than $50.00. (The contractor charged use $165.00 for the materials alone) I know this is a grossly inflated price, but the neighbor says he will sue if we do not pay the full amount. What are my options?

You can take your chances in court and present your defense that the neighbor is in a better position than he was before. I'm sure you'll be held responsible for at least a part of what the neighbor is claiming but you have a chance of the judgement being less than what he is suing you for.

 

[BL]

You will owe for the price the box - post - was worth at the time it was damaged , and labor cost .

You do not get to dictate to your neighbor how the damages are to be repaired .

You can present estimates of the same quality materials , and labor cost to install them .

Hope you have pictures of the damaged property , or can subpoena them from your neighbor .

Although the burden of proof is on the neighbor .