Money Moral Dilemma: Who should pay the bill?

anggrrr

Hang on. She could ring someone to repair the alarm but not either of you in work? *shrug* Takes all sorts, I guess.

You should pay it if she hasn't offered. It's your alarm.

KxMx

Surely when this system was installed you realised there would be a chance this would happen?

As she has a key and code you must be okay with her coming round.

How rude of you. If if had been your own parent would you be asking?

Clive_Woody

Time to change the alarm code.

Billy_Bonkers

Not her fault the alarm panel had a faulty button that was obviously going to stick sooner or later.

If you'd lent her your car & the electric window winder broke because it was old & worn, would you expect her to pay for that?

ATT_2

I'm sorry - but MIL's creeping around my home, my castle, whilst I'm away at work is scary enough thought let alone being charged for the fact. And '...she pushed the number in too hard and the button stuck' sounds unlikely - more like a doddering old woman mistyping the code anyway :P I'd ask her to pay as if the situation was reversed myself or my DH would be asked to pay for a callout at the MIL's house.

SuzyK

You should pay.
Things happen like this all the time and it certainly isn't worth falling out with a family member.
I bet your MIL has helped you many times by using the alarm when you did want her there.
Suck it up and stop being such a tight !!!!.
Accidents happen.

DaveSuffolk

By giving your M-i-L the code you have given her permission to call round. It's not her fault the alarm button malfunctioned. It's not your fault either so you could try asking the company to pay, buttons shouldn't stick if they are well-designed. But if they won't play ball I think it's your liability, as you gave her a door-key and the code.

A.Jones

By the sound of it, she has paid the alarm guy, and is presenting the bill to you. I wouldn't pay it. She entered the house without your knowledge and she broke it.

Giving someone the alarm code is not necessarily giving them permission to enter the house at any time they please. I have a key for my mother's house, and I often get given the key for my neighbours when they go away in case of emergency. I do not think I have the right to enter their house just because I have the key.

If she insists on you paying her back, I would change the code and then tell her the code is changed and that she is not to try to enter your house again unaccompanied.

tenuissent

Not too happy with the knee jerk M-i-L insults on here. I am a M-i-L with key and code to their house and I do 100s of jobs for them, cutting the grass, cooking meals for when they get home, caring for the small children, driving them to the shops, stay in for repair men, anything I can do to help a busy young family with two working parents and no car. And yes, I have set off their alarm in my time, but resent the "doddering old woman" remark, among many others. I am not too doddering to look after very small children and get a proper meal cooked at the same time, even if I don't know how to turn their TV on......... They would never ask me to pay for a repair if I was clumsy with something. Incidentally, only a crisis of some sort would make me go into their house when not expected.

Nicki123

Grit your teeth and pay! Not worth family friction. Just explain how you would prefer she handle it in future, or remove her 'priveledges' of being able to go in when she wants (although you might be the winner in the end, if she's willing to wait around for deliveries, etc!)