Money Before Friendship: Sitting On Her Macbook Winds Up in a Court Case

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The original poster (OP) broke her friend’s MacBook, and now her friend is demanding she pays more because she ‘was upgrading anyway,’ or she will sue. What should she do?

Friendship Dissolves Quickly

Money issues are an unavoidable part of relationships; how you resolve these often tests the strength of a bond. One Redditor found out how quickly some relationships dissolve over personal debts when she accidentally damaged her friend’s MacBook.

She Sat on Her Friend’s MacBook

When OP welcomed a visit from her friends, she could not have predicted that the hangout would ultimately end in a lawsuit. One of her guests requested permission to invite her own friend, who came over with her MacBook and placed it on the couch. In an entirely predictable turn of events, the host unintentionally sat on top of the computer and broke the screen.

She Offered To Pay Her Back in Full

Feeling repentant, OP originally offered to pay for the full price of the damaged laptop. When first purchasing the MacBook three years prior, the friend’s friend had paid $2200 for the device.

As an apology, the host generously offered to wire that amount to the friend’s bank account within the week. For the moment, the issue seemed to be resolved satisfactorily.

It Wasn’t Enough

However, the host later received an email from the friend demanding a $2700 wire transfer. Surprised by the difference in the amount, she then obtained the woman’s phone number through their mutual connection. According to the user’s online retelling of the interaction, she contacted the friend to request an explanation for the increased total and received an infuriating response.

She Needed The Upgrade

“She’s now expecting me to pay for her new upgraded MacBook since she was ‘upgrading anyway.’ She said if I don’t agree to do that, she’ll be suing me in small claims court,” OP disclosed. Alarmed, she sought legal advice from an online forum. Writing under the handle u/macbookcouch, she asked: “Should I wire her the $2,200, or should I just tell her to go sue me?”

Social Media Reacted to The Story

Overwhelmingly, fellow social media users cautioned her against submitting to her friend’s demands. “You don’t pay either of those amounts. You pay the depreciated value of the MacBook as of the date your butt sat on it, and not a dime more,” wrote the most up-voted commenter. “If she wants to upgrade, she can pay for that upgrade, and if she wants to sue, good luck to her. No judge is going to award her more than the MacBook was currently worth.”

She Made a Clever Move

Based on the commenters’ advice, the original poster first researched the cost of repairing a MacBook screen. Since she discovered it would merely cost $310 for that specific model, she decided to email her friend’s friend and withdraw the original offer to pay for the full cost of a new laptop. Instead, she now proposed to pay for the price of reparations. In reply, “[the friend’s friend] sent me an email calling me a b—– and [saying] that she’s going to take me to court.”

She Was Taken To Court

Per her description of events, the user was served with a lawsuit a few days later. In the United States, a small-claims court is a state court where parties can dispute legal claims that fall below a certain limit—in most states, an amount somewhere between $25,000 and $2,000. These courts are typically more informal, and litigants usually represent themselves. Knowing this, the original poster diligently prepared their case for the judge.

OP Was Prepared

On the day of the trial, OP arrived at court with a ready defense. From the onset, she told the judge how she had initially outlined three different options to resolve the dispute. First, to pay for a brand-new laptop worth $2200. Second, to purchase a refurbished laptop of the same model for a reduced price (approximately $1400). Third, to fund the cost of repairing the screen on the broken device.

The Evidence Was Clear

Armed with screenshots as proof, the user then provided the judge with multiple price quotes for replacing or repairing the MacBook model in question, sourced from a range of online retailers. They also submitted a copy of the plaintiff’s emails, including the messages where the friend refused alternative solutions, demanded $2700 for an upgrade, and threatened to sue. “I also told [the judge] that when I offered at the very beginning to get her a new one from the Apple store, she said, ‘No, I want the money in cash.’… I tried to show him how it’s clearly visible that she’s trying to take advantage of me.”

The Judge Made a Decision

After listening to closing arguments on both sides, the judge ruled that OP would only pay 50% percent of the repair cost. The reason? The court considered the plaintiff to be partly at fault for negligently leaving her laptop on a couch. “[The woman] gave the judge an attitude almost the whole time, which really p–sed [him] off and helped my case, I guess,” the online user speculated on the outcome.

OP Thanked Social Media Users For Their Help

“If it weren’t for you guys, I would’ve paid $2,200 dollars instead of around $200,” the user thanked her fellow Redditors on the final update and concluded gleefully, “I honestly loved her look at the end as we walked out.”