Apology note left on dinged car was a ‘binding contract,' B.C. tribunal rules
A 10-word apology note a woman left on a car she dinged in a parking lot constituted a legal agreement to pay for repairs, B.C.'s Civil Resolution Tribunal recently ruled.
A decision on the dispute was posted online Friday, finding the handwritten note was enough to establish a 'binding contract' between the parties.
'The note read 'I dinged your back passenger door / happy to pay for!' and included a phone number,' tribunal member Maria Montgomery's decision said.
It was 'undisputed' that Carly Peddle 'caused the dent' and left the note in September of 2023 when she was dropped off at an event by a friend, according to the decision.
The owner of the damaged car, Richard Brooks, filed a claim with the tribunal seeking damages for negligence, asking for $500 as reimbursement for his ICBC deductible.
According to the decision, the two spoke on the phone after the incident, and Peddle offered Brooks three options: paying for the repairs after they were completed, paying $2,000 immediately, or leaving Brooks to pursue reimbursement through ICBC.
'The respondent argues that she did not agree to pay for repairs if the applicant filed a claim with ICBC,' Montgomery wrote.
However, the note contained no such caveat.
'I find that the respondent offered to pay the repair costs. I find that the parties' submissions and emails show that the applicant accepted that offer,' the decision said.
'I therefore find that the parties had reached a settlement agreement, which was a binding contract that the respondent could not later amend without agreement from the applicant.'
In addition to reimbursing Brooks for the deductible, Peddle was ordered to pay $125 in tribunal fees and $34.35 in pre-judgment interest.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Police provide update on fatal Brampton shooting
Video Peel police give an update on the investigation into the fatal shooting of a man in Brampton on Friday evening.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Police seek information, video related to deadly east end stabbing
Video Toronto Police give an update on the search for 24-year-old Anthony Steven Oliveira in connection to the fatal stabbing of a 36-year-old man in the east end.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
RCMP launch secondary search in Battlefords for Ashley Morin
WATCH: RCMP will be searching waterways in the Battlefords area for clues into the 2018 disappearances of Sask. woman. The Saskatchewan RCMP says it has concluded an initial river search for signs of Ashley Morin, but found no evidence yet to indicate what happened to the missing woman. In an update sent Friday afternoon, a spokesperson with the RCMP said investigators have launched a secondary search in a remote area of the Battlefords river system. Morin was 31 years old when she was last seen in July of 2018 in North Battleford. Police believe she was the victim of a homicide. On June 16, RCMP announced that they will continue the investigation by conducting searches of rivers and riverbanks in the area throughout the week. 'The initial river search concluded yesterday afternoon. Today, investigators are conducting a secondary search in a remote area of the Battlefords river system; that search is expected to conclude tomorrow,' RCMP said in a statement Friday. RCMP say the historic case unit continues to investigate tips regarding Morin's disappearance. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
