You Break it - You Bought it

Flyn

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A K.C. couple let their boys run around a community center lobby and one of the little darlings pulled a glass statue down, breaking it.

The couple received a letter a few days later with a bill for $132,000.

They are not happy about the bill.

Video of the incident in link.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/parents-face-132000-claim-kid-knocks-sculpture/story?id=55927437

aphrodite-di-kansas-city-01-180615_hpMain_12x5_992.jpg


Surveillance video captured the little boy reaching for the sculpture, called “Aphrodite di Kansas City” on display in the lobby of the Tomahawk Ridge Community Center in Overland Park, Kansas, when it toppled over.

Then a few days later, the family received a $132,000 claim from the city of Overland Park’s insurance company, saying that the piece had been damaged beyond repair.

“You’re responsible for the supervision of a minor child… your failure to monitor could be considered negligent,” the insurance letter read in part.

“I was surprised, absolutely, more so offended to be called negligent,” said the boy’s mother Sarah Goodman. “They were treating this like a crime scene.”

The sculpture’s artist, Bill Lyons, told ABC News it took him about two years to create the piece and it was listed for sale at $132,000. He examined the piece himself, he said, and concluded it could not be repaired.

“It’s beyond my capabilities and desires to rebuild it,” he said.
 

sickmint79

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well, i'd argue a significant amount of that responsibility... is on the insurance company. could be considered negligent? fight me bro - take me to court.

that being said i don't think it would be unreasonable to send her a more reasonable bill. and re-evaluate premiums for what's being insured.
 

Mr_Roboto

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-Parents are twats for letting their kids run around like that in a place like that
-those kids are hooligans
-Artist thinks he can shit on a plate and sell it for $5K
-Statue fell, but doens't look like it went into 1,000 pieces.
-It looks fairly in tact but they don't show pictures of how it's "totally destroyed."
-access control was terrible, although they shouldn't have to anticipate kids running around why would you leave it where it could be bumped by anyone?

If I was the family I'd get a second appraisal of the value, pics of the damage and find an expert on stained glass willing to testify on if it's repairable as well as argue against full negligence due to the value and lack of access control/securing the art on a table.
 

Mr_Roboto

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Both sides are at fault. The only thing. It might be hard to have someone appraise the value of it. I’m guessing it isn’t worth half of what the guy wants for it. LOL.

I agree, but I'm not some rich person either who'd think that. I'm sure he can produce paperwork he's sold similar pieces to people for similar money, right? These have to be flying off the shelve-er nm probably in poor taste.
 

MrDragster1970

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Maybe civilized people don't enjoy looking at the stuff behind cages, fences, flashing signs saying don;t break our property!!!!!
Any excuse to blame the other guy!!!
Typical entitlement whore mentality, blame the other guy, demand someone else supports you,
refuse to take any responsibility for your own actions!!!!

What do you expect from losers that expect anyone in the brackets above them pay more & more.
That expect a piece of the people smarter than you, that work harder than you, that risk more than you, wealth!!!!


.
 

Blood on Blood

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Let the courts decide

Mother said they were walking out and positioned around the corner. And, 5 yr old (no matter how well parented) can do some stupid shit.

Flip side, appears the statue should have been better secured.


$132k? Get fucked. Shit, we are not talking about a statue of J Lawrence’s Vag here and that may only pull $10k at best.
 

Flyn

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Artist wants the $132K. He doesn't want to rebuild the piece.

Parents were negligent for not watching their kids.

Community center was negligent for not protecting the artwork.

I see a court deciding on value and blame percentage. Question is whether the parents' insurance covers their percentage of loss or they are liable themselves.
 

Mr_Roboto

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Artist wants the $132K. He doesn't want to rebuild the piece.

Parents were negligent for not watching their kids.

Community center was negligent for not protecting the artwork.

I see a court deciding on value and blame percentage. Question is whether the parents' insurance covers their percentage of loss or they are liable themselves.

I agree overall, but man if I had anything that's man portable worth $130K it's not going to sit on an open pedestal at a community center where anyone can walk up and touch it. Jesus fuck maybe this artist has more money than I do, but I don't think anyone here would in reality either.

A quick internet search says a gold bar is worth around $530K. Would any of you leave 1/4 of a gold bar at some unsecured spot in public if you were looking to sell it? That's what he's claiming.
 

Knowklew

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I agree overall, but man if I had anything that's man portable worth $130K it's not going to sit on an open pedestal at a community center where anyone can walk up and touch it. Jesus fuck maybe this artist has more money than I do, but I don't think anyone here would in reality either.

A quick internet search says a gold bar is worth around $530K. Would any of you leave 1/4 of a gold bar at some unsecured spot in public if you were looking to sell it? That's what he's claiming.

Does it matter? The kid broke that shit, I don't care if it was a 40 dollar Lego set. Regardless they need to pay for it.
 

FESTER665

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A quick internet search says a gold bar is worth around $530K. Would any of you leave 1/4 of a gold bar at some unsecured spot in public if you were looking to sell it? That's what he's claiming.

Art is totally subjective though, the value is different for everyone... It said it was a piece that took two years, how much is two years of your time worth?

What if it were some pricey painting the kid ruined? Would that still need to be better protected? All artwork should come with mounting tabs so it can be bolted down? According to that article the piece was secured with clips but he obviously exceeded their limit...

Hopefully they have insurance to cover their asses, and I hope they dont have to pay all 132k out of pocket but I hope they do have to pay a good amount for their child damaging property that doesn’t belong to them.
 
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