Handyman Broke The Glass Door, Owner Asking Me to Pay

Kumar1982 on 22/08/2019 - 09:37
Last edited 23/08/2019 - 09:04 by 1 other user

Hi Friends,

I am staying in a rented appartment. I stayed in this unit for 2 years. Last month one of the big wardrobe sliding door was not moving. So when I checked it, the roller at the bottom had come out. So I informed my agent to get this fixed and he arranged for a handyman.

When the handyman came, he checked the door and opened it fully outside and kept that in a slanted position half on the floor and half on the bed. Then he was doing some screw using tool. Later he told that he need to bring something from Bunnings to fix this. He left the place and came back after sometime. Now he was inside the room fixing the door, I was outside attending a guest. He called from inside and when I went there he asked to help him lifting the door from the floor. I held on one side and he on the other side.

When we just started to lift, the glass cracked almost entire place.

Then the handyman said how did this break and when he left it was good and now it has broken. He asked me did my kid jump on this.. I said no, the kid was in living room with me all the time. Then handyman went out and called agent and told something. And he left. Then I called the agent and told what had happened. He asked me did handyman break it, I said I am not sure as I have not seen him breaking. But the door is old may be because of that it might have cracked. Agent said he will get back to me on this.

After 1 week, now agent emailed me saying that handyman confirmed he has not broken it and I need to pay for fixing this. I replied to agent that I don't agree with this and I will not pay.

Has anyone come across such a situation? What are my options?

Also anyone know how much would be cost of that glass sliding door (there was mirror on the glass door)

Thank you.

Image of the door

Poll Options

  • 4
    I need to pay
  • 366
    Owner/handyman to pay
  • 6
    Others
Home & Garden

Comments

  • 0burntrice0 on 22/08/2019 - 09:41
    +12

    IF you didn't break it, surely there is no reason for you to pay?

    If you or your kid broke it then why did the handyman not notice it was broken while he was working on it?

  • ngengerous on 22/08/2019 - 09:42
    +18

    Right, who's cooking the popcorn? I'll grab the butter.

    • pyramid on 22/08/2019 - 09:48
      +4

      I m up for it…..

      • dasher86 on 22/08/2019 - 09:50
        +5

        I just slammed on my 'brakes' to turn around and get the drinks.

        • ireadtermsofuse on 24/08/2019 - 12:54

          Real OzB don’t use brakes as they would wear out quicker.

          Roll to a stop next time then turn

          • dasher86 on 24/08/2019 - 14:14

            @ireadtermsofuse: Nah, I'd rather not be the next one posting - need help, no comprehensive insurance. I rear ended a car while rolling to a stop.

            • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2019 - 21:12

              @dasher86: Ba hahahaha

    • Skramit on 22/08/2019 - 12:28
      +4

      These threads are so good.

    • tio on 22/08/2019 - 18:14
      -2

      just to confirm, the butter is for the popcorn yeah? I don't want to presume

      • aboogee on 23/08/2019 - 07:43
        +1

        Please enlighten me as I am definitely missing something here….

        • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2019 - 09:22

          Last Tango In Paris?

          • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2019 - 18:11
            +1

            @[Deactivated]: Does anyone get this reference?

            • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2019 - 11:31

              @[Deactivated]: Maybe it's an age thing?

    • kiitos on 23/08/2019 - 09:56
      +1

      Perfect for an Agatha Christie movie - The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side, of course.

  • pyramid on 22/08/2019 - 09:50
    +13

    Title

    Handyman Broke The Glass Door,

    From post description

    He asked me did handyman brake it, I said I am not sure as I have not seen him braking

    OP - is there anything else that you have not mentioned in your story?

    • HighAndDry on 22/08/2019 - 12:20
      +17

      Yup. OP also says this:

      He called from inside and when I went there he asked to help him lifting the door from the floor. I held on one side and he on the other side.

      When we just started to lift, the glass cracked almost entire place.

      Is that three different stories OP has given now?

      • Ahbal on 24/08/2019 - 20:04

        this is gonna be a future OzB classic

  • [Deactivated] on 22/08/2019 - 09:53
    +19

    and kept that in a slanted position half on the floor and half on the bed.

    Get the "handyman" to confirm this is how he left the door.

    Glass is strong when it is placed vertically. If placed horizontally, it can bow and break.

    It could also be caused by lifting technique, in which case, it is still the handyman's fault. If you're not lifting at the same rate the other side is being lifted, you will twist the glass, again, shattering it.

    • Kumar1982 on 22/08/2019 - 09:55

      Very valid points @tshow. Will talk to agent about the same. Thank you very much

      • Zonty on 25/08/2019 - 00:25
        +2

        Just ask why hell he ask me to give him hand it's his job to fix . he should not ask first place to lift door neither would be involved. Owner need chase handy man or suck it up and call insurance to fix it. Owner should chase handyman public liability insurance.

    • coxjon on 22/08/2019 - 10:30
      +19

      Plus, the handyman directed you to lift in that way. He's responsible.

      • [Deactivated] on 22/08/2019 - 10:42
        +10

        Exactly.

        The tenant is responsible to report any defects that are not the result of negligence.

        The landlord/representative is responsible for the repair of defects.

        The contracted handyman is responsible for completing the repairs and for any damage by negligence caused.

        The tenant's responsibility doesn't circle around again. The tenant helping does not remove responsibility from the handyman if the assistance was solicited.

        • happirt on 23/08/2019 - 11:52
          +1

          The main difference between responsibility and accountability is that responsibility can be shared while accountability cannot.

          • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2019 - 12:44

            @happirt: I'm not sure what to do with that comment. :S

            • Musing Outloud on 24/08/2019 - 08:47
              +2

              @[Deactivated]: Simples.

              While the handyman is solely accountable (his role is to repair), the handyman and the tenant were somewhat jointly responsible for the damage while lifting the door (a task). So the trick is to determine that "somewhat". The key is the tenant was lifting under the instruction of the handyman (task directed by Handyman under his role).

              So the Handyman is accountable for the job, and as he was directing the task he was also responsible. A simple test being would this have happened without the presence of the handyman? No, because the tenant asked for the repair.

              Had the tenant lifted the door alone under the direction of the handyman, the handyman would still have been accountable (role) and responsible for making his directions clear (task).

              Had the tenant conducted the repair himself and broken the glass, he would have been both accountable and responsible.

              So this is a simple case of the handyman trying to shift blame (responsibility), but regardless, he is still accountable.

              • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2019 - 08:51

                @Musing Outloud: So… a wall of text to explain why there's no net difference is simples.

                You charge by the hour don't you?

    • [Deactivated] on 22/08/2019 - 09:56
      +12

      The handyman was not contracted by OP.

      • jackinyourbox on 22/08/2019 - 10:12
        +14

        Sorry. I quickly glanced at the story. The handyman is to pay because he moved the glass from its original position and got op involved to help where they shouldn’t of been. Op helped in good faith but the handyman pinned it on them only once it broke. The handyman would of had the knowledge and experience to determine a crack if one had occurred prior to complete failure. Op and the handyman broke it, however all blame towards the handyman

      • Kumar1982 on 22/08/2019 - 10:25
        +1

        The only mistake I did was , leaving handyman alone to work in the room and not overseeing him while he was doing his work :( ..

        • [Deactivated] on 22/08/2019 - 10:44
          +8

          It doesn't matter. That's not a mistake. The glass was broken whilst the handyman was at work on said glass.

          Said handyman is not contracted by you.

          That's all that is relevant.

        • JonGee on 23/08/2019 - 11:03

          You are not required to oversee (or be responsible for) the handyman doing his work, he was engaged by the agent and is responsible to them for any work carried out, including damage caused by his undertaking.

    • King Steuart on 23/08/2019 - 15:53

      Nope, he's a tenant

  • hypie on 22/08/2019 - 10:11
    +8

    Handyman has to pay. This is why they have insurance, however if they hired a handyman who doesn't have insurance. The Owner will have to pay. If you are misleading us, then this is irrelevant. But it sounds like the Handyman broke it and is claiming otherwise.

  • o53djz7qTPY4der on 22/08/2019 - 10:30
    +4

    I would just tell the agent the handyman broke it.

    It then becomes a case of your word against theirs. The agent will follow the path of least resistance for the money. Likely, the LL.

    • [Deactivated] on 22/08/2019 - 10:46
      +3

      I wouldn't. That's lying.

      If the case involved a larger sum of money and goes to court, OP would be asked about the details on how the handyman broke the item.

      Lies tend to unravel and even if the lie was said for convenience, everything OP says, even in future cases would be meaningless.

      Don't lie.

      Ps. If you had to make a declaration, ie. Stat Dec, make sure you're only stating facts. Lying on a stat Dec is a criminal offence. Ignorance is not an excuse.

      • o53djz7qTPY4der on 22/08/2019 - 11:02
        +5

        A lie is not a lie if you believe it’s true.

        • [Deactivated] on 22/08/2019 - 11:07

          You have to hope the judge is feeling particularly zen that day…

        • Ozpit on 23/08/2019 - 09:00
          -1

          A truth is not a truth if you believe it’s a lie.

  • Caped Baldy on 22/08/2019 - 11:21
    +6

    I can't wait for the post tomorrow from a landlord saying that either the tenant or handyman broke a glass sliding door and are both finger pointing.

  • one man clan on 22/08/2019 - 11:41
    +2

    I liked the part where he asked you if your kid jumped on a glass door.

    • HighAndDry on 22/08/2019 - 12:23

      I think OP may have said the glass was fine but leaning against a wall (at an angle?) and THEN somehow broke. Which could be caused by the kid - okay not jumping on it, but maybe bumping against it.

    • DemocracyManifest on 22/08/2019 - 16:27

      They do shit like that, my favorite is 'historical trauma'

    • outlander on 22/08/2019 - 18:22
      +7

      I know that was my favorite activity as a kid. Jumping on glass doors. What a hoot.

    • lysp on 23/08/2019 - 13:31

      That's more them knowing they broke it, but introducing another theory to attempt to introduce doubt and place blame on something other than them.

  • Peter Enis on 22/08/2019 - 12:29
    +6

    Just show the agent the poll results and you won't have to pay.

    • Skramit on 22/08/2019 - 12:31
      +3

      Tried this and it works. I put up a poll if I should get a pay rise and the poll said yes. Showed to my boss and got a pay rise.

      OZB MAGIC.

  • Skramit on 22/08/2019 - 12:34
    +3

    All you have to tell the Agent is this:

    "The handyman told me to help him lift the door. When we did, it cracked during the lift. So it's the handyman's fault."

  • godofpizza on 22/08/2019 - 12:39

    A handyman asking you to help him is not a handyman.
    A handyman asking you to pay for a door he ask you to help is not a handyman.
    …..

  • Kumar1982 on 22/08/2019 - 12:45
    +2

    Thanks guys from your inputs.

    Here is the image of the cracked door

    https://imgur.com/gallery/XqvLwti

    • pyramid on 22/08/2019 - 12:48
      +2

      We like ms paint diagram but on serious note there is no use of this pic in discussion.

    • [Deactivated] on 22/08/2019 - 17:02
      +3

      It was broken during lifting. He probably knew what happened because this "handyman" sounds like someone who doesn't learn from their mistake.

      If someone jumped or dropped something on the glass, you'd have a radiating crack from the point of loading.

      It formed a straight crack that ends in the corner. The glass was twisted.

      I can even guess that the corner that the crack goes through is the corner you were holding and the "handyman" was holding the opposite corner. The person holding that opposite corner would have felt the point of overload and the glass breaking to release tension.

    • mousie on 23/08/2019 - 17:47

      That'll buff right out

  • [Deactivated] on 22/08/2019 - 13:06
    +2

    Owner should have LL insurance, but the handyman also has isurance, they are bluffing you big time
    Say NO

    • jsb on 22/08/2019 - 13:40
      +1

      Insurances have excess that needs to be paid.

  • garetz on 22/08/2019 - 14:19
    +5

    A glass door like that should never be put on its side like that, especially on a soft surface, that handy man is a moron to the 1st degree.

  • BertieBrown on 22/08/2019 - 15:44
    +6
    • Not your problem/ not your responsibility to pay for a new door IMO.

    The owner engaged the handyman to fix the door. Now, regardless of who helped him move it (whether that be an apprentice he hires, or a labourer he hires), any manipulating of the door was done directly under the direction, and direct supervision of the handyman.

    The handyman is presumably ‘the expert’ in fixing sliding glass doors, not you, otherwise the owner wouldn’t have hired the handyman to perform the job.

    I see that you are under no obligation to pay for anything if the breakage happened as you say.

    • trapper on 23/08/2019 - 12:05

      Your story is all over the place… probably why you are getting blamed. lol

      But this is the correct answer, handyman came to fix something, handyman broke something, handyman is responsible.

  • sghetti on 22/08/2019 - 16:06

    Sorry, parts of this story are confusing, or I'm reading it wrong.

    The handyman called out to you, you came inside to help lift the door back on, then the glass broke as you were both lifting it? But you then said to the agent that you didn't see the handyman break the glass? You were both lifting it and the glass broke? The handyman was involved?

    • Kumar1982 on 22/08/2019 - 17:57

      Details:
      The door has glass on one side of it and some other material(non transparent layer).

      Even now, the door with the non glass side is intact and can't see crack from side view.

      And when I went to help him lift the door, the non glass side was upside. So I couldn't see if it was broken before we started lifting it.

      But the moment, we started lifting it started making cracked sounds. And as we lifted the other side, we were able to see the cracks.

      • Hirolol on 23/08/2019 - 08:55

        Where abouts were you and the handyman standing?

      • trapper on 23/08/2019 - 12:06

        "the moment, we started lifting it started making cracked sounds" = glass breaking…. lol

  • [Deactivated] on 22/08/2019 - 16:20
    +1

    A lot of negative comments, thats one f the reasons i dont start posts on here anymore.

    • [Deactivated] on 22/08/2019 - 20:38
      +3

      Thats because tight arses are usually smart arses too.

  • DemocracyManifest on 22/08/2019 - 16:25
    +1

    I had a similar situation, had a shower screen literally explode one night, RE and owner insisted I smashed it, I didn't. While they were stuffing around the shower door came off its hinge, I caught it and put it aside, then a few seconds later it literally (profanity) blew up too. Owner put a curtain up and that was it, but I expect they will try to take from bond, but frame in first place wasn't professionally installed. Probably question the credentials of the handyman.

    • Kumar1982 on 22/08/2019 - 17:53

      Thanks, these are very unfortunate

  • MITM on 22/08/2019 - 18:00
    +8

    Handyman should have brought an assistant if he needed help lifting the door.
    I'd would have said, sorry man - can't help you - I just came out of hospital last week from surgery - work it out yourself or call back to base for an assistant - or come back later, but don't leave it on my bed 'cause I need to sleep there and if you do, I'm going to the Hilton for the night and send you the bill including the bar fridge contents and room service.

    • Kumar1982 on 22/08/2019 - 21:26

      Thanks, next time will follow these 🙂

  • profar on 22/08/2019 - 21:33
    -1

    Basically his word against yours .

    They hold the bond and ultimately the power so 2 choices :

    1) Pay and you can enjoy parking your A$$ there.

    2) Don’t pay and increase your % chances of getting a notice to leave.

    Both way you will pay anyway as 2) will come from your bond.

    Lovely world we live in :)

  • Kumar1982 on 23/08/2019 - 06:27

    Thank you everyone for your valuable inputs.

    • Hoobz on 23/08/2019 - 10:18
      +1

      Please read my reply elsewhere.

      Do not feel responsible in the absolute slightest.

      Handyman is a dirtbag.

      Do not contemplate paying a cent. Please.

  • RSmith on 23/08/2019 - 07:33

    Then he was doing some screw using tool

    I laughed my head off trying to imagine this…

  • solidussnake on 23/08/2019 - 09:02
    +1

    If you put up a bit of a fight the owner will usually pay the bill as it's too much of a hassle with the property manager looking after the place happened to me a couple times in on old rental

    jJust reply in an email
    You hired a handy man who left the door on an unsafe angle
    Left it for a long time but you closed the door etc
    He was rescrewing on the bottom, if he used a longer screw he could of hit the glass
    He asked for your assistance which you helped out of goodwill as you aren't a tradie/handyman

    Usually they will both wake up and pay for the glass and move on with their lives lol

  • Kumar1982 on 23/08/2019 - 09:04

    I got sufficient inputs and hence closing this thread now.

    Thank you very much

    • k-rokfm on 23/08/2019 - 09:20
      +3

      Keep it open - let us know how it goes with the REA & LL

    • pyramid on 23/08/2019 - 09:20
      +2

      Naah!!!Please come back with results.

    • Quantumcat on 23/08/2019 - 09:51

      Yeah you can't leave us on the hook like this

    • Baysew on 23/08/2019 - 09:55
      +2

      It's good manners to come back with the results. A lot of people have contributed to the thread and would be interested how you got on.

  • Kumar1982 on 23/08/2019 - 10:12
    +1

    Sure will do that, sent an email to agent and will update this page , once I hear from agent. Usually agent takes lots of time to respond and he usually doesn't pick up phone calls

  • Hoobz on 23/08/2019 - 10:16
    +2

    I've been building, renovating, repairing, supervising commercial construction/houses for 30 yrs.

    There is zero chance in hell you'd be even remotely responsible for any damage done in this situation.

    Seriously, this pisses me off. The handyman has zero integrity, or is totally uneducated in glazing. He was responsible for supervising you as a helper. He asked you.

    The lifting of the door was when the glass broke. Not because of a kid touching it, doesn't work like that.

    I'd love to get envolved, and go bat for you.

    The handy man is incompetent or a scumbag/liar. Guaranteed.

  • misu p on 23/08/2019 - 10:27

    Do you live by any chance on Campbell St in Parramatta? Is your agent Marko something?

  • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2019 - 10:47
    +1

    I just love the reference to the "screw using tool".
    It's called a screwdriver, OP.

    • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2019 - 11:11

      Maybe the tool requires a screw?

      Maybe a 90degree adaptor.

  • luffyex2010 on 23/08/2019 - 11:01

    It is good that the sliding glass broke when you are carrying it with him and not with your kid that is most fortunate.

    Other than that I cannot advice, as in the past renting, the tradie/handy man always have 101 excuses and will deny any other reason besides their expertise that is the only reason I am still piss off at their arrogance.

    Which I did managed to solved/complete his job, when I had to troubleshoot each appliances/electric items, which turn out to be the water heater which is just heating up all the time and the outcome is a $1kbill living in a 2bed room unit in Epping.

    All he did was checking looking at the wall sockets and powered the electrical items ran down to look the power metre and told me all is good and blame it on my oil fin heaters. Which isn't and that was a $100 call out fee organised by the property manager.

    Not saying he is incompetence (not sure actually), but just plain lazy to even do their job right just impatiently ready to go to the next job. Greed, lazy and sloppy work will be his downfall.

    • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2019 - 11:15

      Greed, lazy and sloppy work will be his downfall.

      Sadly, I think you're wrong. Most of my tradies are not rich. The ones I do not call back are typically those in a much better financial position.

      Crap work pays since laws regarding withholding payment works in favour of crappy tradies. No matter how terrible the job is, you have to pay up and then try to pry (in my experience, unsuccessfully or simply not worth the costs) a partial refund back.

      • luffyex2010 on 23/08/2019 - 12:45

        I have not got a good a honest tradie in my 15 years in Sydney. Maybe I have been calling or encountering all the rich ones lol.

        They usually quote prices like you lay golden eggs or pluck money from a tree. With some experiences and internet research, it helps to give me an idea of the scope of the job and approx price.

        It's quite funny as my recent roof installation, they outsourced a guttering person to do the job and he stole my Whirly bird, PVC high grade glue (swap my with his lmao), and I question him that I didn't say he can take them he said oh I didn't know.

        My mood was already down due to finances but that sort of crack me up a little.

        • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2019 - 12:49

          I leave a gold coin lying around in almost plain sight and out of the way when I have people do work for me.

          If that coin goes missing, I'm dealing with a thief. Most of the time, it is still there but too often, it is gone.

          I know that it is only a gold coin and there's going to be comments like "why would someone earning tradie money go for a gold coin?".

          Yet it goes "missing".

          Try it sometime. It's fun.

          • luffyex2010 on 23/08/2019 - 14:34

            @[Deactivated]: Don't have to be a gold coin, I would pickup 5cents too if I see on the ground lol.

            • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2019 - 14:36
              +1

              @luffyex2010: You and I both, brother.

              I had some kids at a local gas station make anti-Semitic comments and threw coins on the ground. I picked them all up, cordially thanked them and kept going.

              Money is money eh?

  • trapper on 23/08/2019 - 12:11

    If you pay for a new door and then the handyman comes back and breaks that one too, are you going to pay for a third door? lol

    not your fault

  • sy8718 on 23/08/2019 - 15:58

    The thing is how to prove that you did not break it. As you are living in the property and you will get a higher chance to break it. If you cannot prove the handyman breaking the door, or even you were not even sure if the handyman broke the door, then you have to pay. The agent definitely does not care who pay for the repair, either you or the handyman, but definitely the agent will not involve the owner and ask the owner to pay as owner has nothing to do with it.

    • weezlebub on 23/08/2019 - 16:08

      Well, did he take the door off of the rails?

      If he's positive that his child or someone else in the house didn't break it, then it was the handyman …

      If the handyman broke it, how is that his problem?

      Lets look at perspectives:
      - his perspective, didn't break the glass, being asked to pay to fix it
      - land lords perspective, didn't break the glass, but someone's paying for it
      - handyman's perspective, probably broke the glass, but a 50$ repair job could turn into 100$ piece of glass plus labour

      land lord is tight *rse
      handyman is trying to do a job
      you're possibly to blame (via child)

      • sy8718 on 23/08/2019 - 16:20

        This is similar as renting a car. If you car is damaged by someone else but you cannot prove (no witness) or you even do not know who damaged it, can you just tell the rental company saying "I did not damage it and I do not know who did that so I will not pay for repair?"

        If it is in your hand, you take the responsibility to maintain it. The rental company is not obligated to prove if you tell the truth or not.

        • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2019 - 22:57
          +1

          Poor analogy.

          Using your theme, this is a closer analogy.

          You rent a car and after driving it around, you notice the sound system isn't working. The rental company agrees that this is problematic and made arrangements for it to be taken to one of their affiliated service centres.

          You take the car in and the service centre confirms that everything looks normal but the sound system isn't working. They tell you to wait by the car whilst they go grab a part and shortly after proceeded to work. They came out of the car and told you the touch screen on the infotainment is shattered.

          You don't know what the guy did as you're barely able to understand what's going on. You're not sure if they broke it because you didn't see it happen. Both your story and the technician's agree that there wasn't any visible signs of damage before the repair began but the technician is now saying that you broke the screen sometime whilst he was grabbing the parts.

          Now you're expected to pay for the damages.

          • sy8718 on 24/08/2019 - 08:44

            @[Deactivated]: Let us take your story but in real world yes you have to pay if you did not see the technician damaged the touch screen. As when the technician went to get the parts you are the one sitting in the car, so you are the most possible person who can break it. Of course as the rental company they do not care who pay for it, either you or the technician. But as the rental company only has your deposit, and they have agreement with you, so if you cannot prove it was the technician did that, the rental company will definitely use your deposit to cover the damage. You can try going to court and you may get half of the money back from the technician, but you need to consider if it is worth doing that. However, there is no way that you can ask the rental company to cover the damage.

  • HeWhoKnows on 23/08/2019 - 16:17
    -6

    Difficult situation
    Technically the tenant is responsible for making good all breakages that occur during thier tenancy.
    OP seems unclear as to how the breakage occured.
    The handyman says it wasnt him.
    Obviously the agent has discussed this matter with thier handyman and concluded that OP is at fault.

    Sorry OP but doesnt matter what anyone says here.
    It "appears" you are responsible for the breakage.

    All you can testify is that the door was NOT broken before the handyman arrived but it was broken after he left. Even the handyman concedes to that.

    • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2019 - 23:01
      +2

      All I have to do now is hire someone to go "fix" a "problem" in my investment property.

      (Take a freaking baseball bat to the insides of the place).

      Woohoo. Tenant is paying for new everything.

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