Quote:
Originally Posted by Lamplighter
Ummm.... I wonder if a different title should be:
What is the mature thing to do ?
As I read the OP, I hear an older generation missing a cliche...
If you borrow something, you're responsible for it.
If you don't like that responsibility, don't borrow.
The younger seems to be saying the same thing, but from their POV
If someone doesn't want to fix my stuff, then they don't get to borrow it.
Also, among family members there may also be a financial POV...
Here, can the younger afford this repair bill as much as the elder ?
The usual family situation would be, No, they can't.
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I don't quite agree and can't rely on cliches. As I said I would have no problem covering any repair that I caused to happen. I can hardly be found at fault for the failure of a seal on a water pump.
My main vehicle is a Land Rover which is a glitchy problem prone vehicle. Yet I would not expect anyone to pay for an internal engine part breaking if I loaned it to them because it is a wear and tear item. Hell, my car often breaks down even when I do treat it with care and do proactive maintenance! If I loaned out a car with bad tires and the tire blew causing the borrower harm one could argue that I am at fault for loaning out a car with bad tires. Yet a water pump is hardly a part you replace on a proactive basis. In my opinion no one is at fault. I think I would have felt better if my step son had approached it that way and suggested we split the repair cost.
As I mentioned, my step son and his wife make about double per year then my wife and I and while they have a large family are pretty flushed with cash. Paying over $1000 for them is not as big a hit as for me at this stage of my life and having to reduce my few investments.
I just don't see his response that I somehow caused this to be mature at all. Because I am
mature I plan to pay for the repair. But is that the
ethical thing to do? My title remains the same.