Okay just for a little background my roommate and I have been roommates since freshman year and we are now juniors. This will be our last semester living together. When we first started living together we both said we were a little messy, not disgustingly messy but sometimes we’ll have stuff on the floor.
Our freshman year that’s what it was just a couple things on the floor maybe it was more her stuff some weeks maybe some more of my stuff some weeks.
But as time went on it became a bit more than just a little bit of stuff. Our second semester sophomore she would leave actual mountains of clothes on her side of the room. I let it go because it was always on her side and like once a month she would clean it. But since last semester it has gotten bad. Her clothes would be everywhere she would leave plates of food on our window sill she used my stuff and wouldn’t put it away (I have since talked to her about that and now it rarely happens but still).
Now what happened yesterday, I came back to my room from class and I was on the phone with my brother not exactly paying attention and I stepped on her ipad that was on the floor near the entrance of the dorm. It was technically on her side but she left a box right near the trash can (which is also near the entrance but on my side) and I knew it was there so I subconsciously stepped to the side and I stepped on her iPad and it cracked.
Now when she got back I told her what happened and that I was really sorry and I offered to pay half of the repairs. She’s now saying I should buy her a new ipad since this was a new she had just bought herself for christmas. iPads are expensive, there is not way I could afford to buy her a new ipad especially the version she has. That’s exactly what I told her but she said I was the one who cracked it so I need to replace it. I pointed out that she left it on the floor near the entrance of the room so I felt she should take some responsibility. She said it was on her side and I should’ve been paying attention.
I honestly don’t think that’s fair and I talked to a couple of my friends and they agree with me but I wanted some non bias perspectives. If the general consensus is that I’m wrong I can go into my savings to get her a new one I guess. But please let me know if I should stand my ground or this or pay it to keep the peace.
NTA. If she was worried about it being broken, she shouldn’t have left it on the floor. Maybe this will be a good lesson in taking care of her stuff.
NTA
Who the fuck leaves an Ipad(Or a phone, or a laptop, or anything!) on the floor!
I think offering to pay for half is generous of you. Also, if it’s all you can do, it’s all you can do.
ESH. She shouldn’t have left it on the floor. You should have watched where you were going. I’d say half is reasonable.
What did she think would happen when she left it on the floor? Half of the cost for repair -not a new one -is fair. NTA.
NTA. Don’t leave an iPad on the floor if you don’t want it to get stepped on.
NTA you were generous. when my son first got an iPad, if he left it on the floor I took it away for the rest of the day. she was careless.
Stick to paying 1/2.
If roommate keeps insisting drop it to 1/4.
Then to 1/10th.
NTA.
This was an accident caused by your roommate leaving an expensive, fragile item on the floor near the entrance of a shared space. While you stepped on it, she also bears responsibility for not storing her iPad safely, especially given her long-standing habit of leaving belongings all over the room.
Offering to pay half the repair cost is reasonable and fair. Expecting you to replace a brand-new iPad fully ignores her role in creating the situation. Accidents in shared living spaces come with shared responsibility, and you already took accountability by apologizing and offering compensation.
Standing your ground on paying half is not being selfish; it’s being fair.
NTA
It’s only reasonable for her to believe her iPad would have been safe from harm if she left it out of harm’s way. An iPad sitting in the middle of the floor is in harm’s way. Therefore, she needs to own some of the responsibility for the accident. Offering to pay half is more than fair in this situation.
And for what it’s worth, she was going on your side to use your stuff without returning it, but suddenly she cares about her iPad being technically on her side and therefore you should not have stepped there? No, girl.. that’s not how it works.
NTA When I read the title, I immediately thought you broke it, you pay for it. However when I learned it was on the floor I totally changed my mind. I think half is more than fair.
If she got it less than 60 days ago she can still get Apple Care. Other than that she’d have to suck it up for being so irresponsible. You stepped on it (where feet go)but she left it there(also where feet go). One of these things is not like the other
NTA who leaves an iPad ON THE FLOOR? I’m mad at her for you.
NTA
This reminds me of a past AITA story where someone sat on a laptop which had been left on a couch seat. There was disagreement about how much the person should pay. It wound up going to small claims court. The judge ruled that, because the laptop had been placed carelessly by the owner, the owner shared equal responsibility for breaking the laptop and was only entitled to half the cost of the repair or replacement, whichever was cheaper. Also, the replacement cost was based on the depreciated value of the laptop at the time it was broken, not on the value of a new one.
IANAL but it sounds like you’ve already given her a very fair offer. If she doesn’t want to accept it, she can take you to small claims court and she’ll probably wind up getting less than you have offered.
NTA Breakable stuff shouldn’t be left on the ground. Period. No excuses.
She should be paying the full amount.