T wants me to pay for his flat tires caused by....

T wants me to pay for his flat tires caused by.... by Julie in PA on March 20, 2012 @22:36

I have an 8 car gravel parking lot with a garage/shop near the entrance. I rent the garage out to a retired man who works on his hobbies there. One of my tenants got a flat tire a few months back and when he went to have it fixed they pulled out a screw and told him he needed a new tire for $150 (??? doesn't sound right). This tenant said he found similar screws in front of the garage door which one must pass to exit the parking lot. I called the garage tenant, told him the story and asked him to be careful if he was using nails and screws. I just got another email from the same (flat tire) tenant telling me that the same thing happened again and that he needed another new tire. He wants me to pay him $300 for the two new tires. This man has been an excellent tenant for 5 years and not a trouble at all. The garage tenant is a great tenant too. What do I do? Who is responsible? And what shop keeps selling him $150 tires for a puncture? Something sounds wrong...
Thank you for your help.

[ Reply ] [ Return to forum ]

Re: T wants me to pay for his flat tires caused by.... by Anonymous on March 20, 2012 @23:19	[ Reply ]

He can send the bill to his renter's insurance company or auto insurance company and see what they say. You are not responsible for flat tires. The screw could have been picked up at the construction job site this tenant works at or drives by daily. Most of the time a puncture hole can be plugged for a few bucks. It would have to be a big horrible screw to ruin a tire, or a sidewall slit. Maybe the tire shop is selling new tires that could be repaired instead. New tires start about $75 and go up to several hundred dollars or more a tire.

Re: T wants me to pay for his flat tires caused by.... by Jake (WI) on March 20, 2012 @23:40	[ Reply ]

Second the previous responder's advice about renter's and auto insurance. Acutally you may want to require all your tenants to get renters insurance in the future, that way garage guy would be covered as well if he acutally causes damage with whatever his hobby is. There are way to many possibilities here for you to feel you have any responsibility for this. As the previous poster pointed out...screws nails and other debris are all over the place, not just in your parking lot. This could have happened anywhere...then the tenant...ticked that his tire is flat, notices a few screws on the ground and sees a way not to have to pay for it...or: "They" at the tire shop 1) pulled out the screw 2) told him he needed a new tire...because the current tire is so bald/old it's unsafe to drive on...so while the screw brought him to the shop it's not the total reason a new tire is needed. "They" are the world's greatest tire salesmen and talked him into new tires "since the landlord's paying." "They" are an expensive car dealership because he's a person who goes to the dealership for every little thing rather than an independent or a tire shop. "They" and the tenant know each other and are running a little scam where the tire gets fixed for one price, you get billed for a higer price, and they split the extra.

Re: T wants me to pay for his flat tires caused by.... by Anonymous on March 21, 2012 @01:07	[ Reply ]

Screws are screws and nails are nails. Finding similar items is not proof although SLIGHTLY circumstantial. This is none of your concern. Tell that to both tenants since one believes the other is responsible, and then exit gracefully. Your tenant claiming damages is trying to make you the "heavy." Don't be dragged into this. This is not a complicated situation unless you allow it.

Re: T wants me to pay for his flat tires caused by.... by Anonymous on March 21, 2012 @02:56	[ Reply ]

A puncture is $10-$15 in my area to get a tire plugged. Or I buy a tire plug kit and can do two or three of them from the purchase of one kit. The shop I use won't plug a tire if it is worn below 6/32nds. If the sidewall or the edge of the tire is punctured, I have to replace the tire. I also have to replace the tire if it is more than a puncture, like a tear, or a long nail that goes through and out the other side.. I would tell the renter to turn it over to his own insurance, as your insurance will not cover a renter's tire. What does he want covered next, a new muffler because of the dip in the driveway? If he has found similar screws in front of the garage, have the retired tenant get a roofer's magnet, and have him magnet all the screws out of the driveway. For his car's sake as well as the other tenants car's sake.... Weigh this one out. Have the other people using the driveway gotten flat tires? Did you take a look at the driveway? Did you take a look at either of these tires? Were they punctured or tore? Was the screw pulled out of the tire similar to the ones on the ground in front of the shop? Do these two tenants get along, or is this just another beef in a mutal disagreement stemming from something else? I don't hear any proof here that the screw was definitely from the driveway in front of the shop.

Re: T wants me to pay for his flat tires caused by....

Re: T wants me to pay for his flat tires caused by.... by MrDan (Georgia) on March 21, 2012 @10:05	[ Reply ]

Some vehicle manufacturers recommend not using repaired tires. Some tires are labeled 'Do Not Repair'. Tire damage is not always visible from the outside. Also the tire's speed rating is void if the tire is repaired. Hopefully the tenant bought 'road hazard insurance' when he purchase his tires. Regardless, as the landlord, you have the responsibility to correct any known hazards on your property.

Re: T wants me to pay for his flat tires caused by.... by Abdon on March 21, 2012 @21:13	[ Reply ]

Why on earth would you have to do anything with this? If the screw belongs to the guy that rents the garage, that's between the tennant and that guy. Tell him to go ask him for the money. As a good faith offer him $20 for two tire repairs and tell him that you won't be doing it again.