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Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,537
Registered: ‎03-15-2010

A 14-year-old girl owes $20,000 in damages after a house party — and her parents are on the hook

Of course the parents are on the "hook"!

 

Who else should pay the damages?!?!?

 

Full story here:

 

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/14-year-old-girl-owes-20000-damages-house-party-parents-hook-1809275...

 

I am sure her parents will start making sure they know where she is and what she is doing in the future!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,011
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: A 14-year-old girl owes $20,000 in damages after a house party — and her parents are on the hook

[ Edited ]

I saw this story and I didn't quite get it.   

 

The daughter steals the parent's credit card, books an illegal contract with the home owner to rent the house, how do the parents become responsible when the homeowner made a contract with a minor?

 

I'm not talking moral because I think the parents are on the hook but I'd divide it 50-50 with the homeowner who rented to a 14 year old. 

 

Need some better references before you rent or maybe at least one!    

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,737
Registered: ‎06-06-2012

Re: A 14-year-old girl owes $20,000 in damages after a house party — and her parents are on the hook

I read the link but still do not fully understand. Did she rent the house over the internet? Over the phone? Did the person who rented the house to her not ask for ID? Not realize she was a minor? It is illegal to enter into a contract with a minor and you would think that would make the contract void, thus the person who entered into the contract with the minor would be on the hook. I see this happened in Canada so maybe their laws are different. I am by any means diminishing her role as she was totally wrong and if my child would be dealt with severely. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,018
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: A 14-year-old girl owes $20,000 in damages after a house party — and her parents are on the hook


@DJs momwrote:

I read the link but still do not fully understand. Did she rent the house over the internet? Over the phone? Did the person who rented the house to her not ask for ID? Not realize she was a minor? It is illegal to enter into a contract with a minor and you would think that would make the contract void, thus the person who entered into the contract with the minor would be on the hook. I see this happened in Canada so maybe their laws are different. I am by any means diminishing her role as she was totally wrong and if my child would be dealt with severely. 


You make a good point:  Can the homeowner legally enter into a contract with a minor?  Did the minor falsely represent herself as an adult when entering into the contract? 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,604
Registered: ‎10-25-2010

Re: A 14-year-old girl owes $20,000 in damages after a house party — and her parents are on the hook

@Laura14  The story doesn’t say, but it  is possible the home’s owner rented over the internet and had no idea the girl was 14. It is not common for 14 year olds to have a CC.

she probably misrepresented herself.

 

Also, this happened in Canada, their  laws might be different.

 

And  finally, parents are responsible for their children and their CCs.

 

They need to pay up...then make the girl pay them back.  The landlord should not have to eat any part of the bill for the damage.

 

What  the heck is wrong with kids?  Why would they destroy a house?  If there are pictures or videos of them doing distraction, those kids should also be expected to pony up the money to fix what they destroyed.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,230
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: A 14-year-old girl owes $20,000 in damages after a house party — and her parents are on the hook

If the parents merely assume all the risk, what is it the daugther and her friends learn?   I don't know the law, but what the teens did certainly sounds immoral -  and the years I spent working with teens makes me think they knew what they were doing was questionable.  Why else would they hold that party in a rented house instead of one of their own? 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,011
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: A 14-year-old girl owes $20,000 in damages after a house party — and her parents are on the hook

[ Edited ]

@millieshopswrote:

If the parents merely assume all the risk, what is it the daugther and her friends learn?   I don't know the law, but what the teens did certainly sounds immoral -  and the years I spent working with teens makes me think they knew what they were doing was questionable.  Why else would they hold that party in a rented house instead of one of their own? 


I am still in this camp. 

 

You have no idea who the person is on the other end especially over the internet and I think there needs to be a penalty for due diligence on the renter's part.  And I lay half on the parents' because my guess is this isn't the kid's first transgression and that's lack of supervision.  

 

If someone steals my credit card or yours and rents a house and destroys it, we're now responsible for the thief's actions?  That's ludicrous in my mind. 

 

If you are renting your own property, you can make a reference call and make sure an adult answers on the other end.  This could all have been avoided by a quick phone call that everyone is required to put in with the credit card number over the website.

 

"Hi this is Chuck.  I own the house you just rented."

 

"Excuse me?  What rental?"

 

Party never happens.        

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,654
Registered: ‎06-10-2015

Re: A 14-year-old girl owes $20,000 in damages after a house party — and her parents are on the hook

1.  Little missy would be getting part time job after school and all summer long to help pay.

 

2.  The rest of the little brats would be ponying up their part.

 

3.  Little missy would be grounded for a very long time.  She would loose her cell and internet for a good long while.  Her spare time would be spent cleaning and helping around the house.

 

4.  All the little brats should be helping to clean up the mess, help with repairs and painting.

BE THE PERSON YOUR DOG THINKS YOU ARE! (unknown)
Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,139
Registered: ‎04-16-2010

Re: A 14-year-old girl owes $20,000 in damages after a house party — and her parents are on the hook

[ Edited ]

Right off the bat, the word of the day is STOLEN....stolen credit card.

 

So, the kid steals. Do not doubt for one minute this is the first time she's done it.

 

Doubt mom and dad haven't paid her bills before.

 

Guess it just go real...maybe not. I know many parents who don't blink an  eye when little Johnny or Susy do something stupid; they just make a payment to make it go away.

 

You STEAL from me, kid of mine, you will live a miserable life for a LONG time. THAT'S the FIRST thing you teach a kid...DO NOT STEAL.

 

 

The whole family is a mess for too many reasons to be bothered discussing.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,656
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: A 14-year-old girl owes $20,000 in damages after a house party — and her parents are on the hook

[ Edited ]

I feel bad for the parents but where were they while their 14 year old little darling was out wreaking havoc on some unsuspecting homeowners property?  Hopefully they can work something out with the homeowner but I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

If she was our kid, she would be paying for this in more ways than one for a very long time.  That little witch knew what she was wrong from the get go.