Did I have any liability in lending lawnmower to a neighbor?

[eamarquardt]

You own a lawnmower and I assume you are capable of using it or you wouldn't own it.

Your neighbor has a temporary situation (because they haven't asked before) where they are unable to mow their own lawn.

Solution: Mow their lawn for them this once if it is a "reasonable sized" lawn and offer to help with permanent solution (maybe you can fix their lawnmower).

Reasoning: We're all stuck in this together and sometimes our neighbors need a bit of help and sometimes we might need a bit of help.

Cheers,

Gus

[DrCrash]

tHE ALL CAPS WAS DELIBERAT. Its the same as yelling.
But you will prolly point that out.

[Ratkity]

Sad shape this country is becoming.

Wow, we went from a narrow case of lending a lawnmower to a kid, to the country is disintegrating before our eyes in a handful of posts.

I'm really starting to think I am one of the few optimists left in the country.

CD

Give it a few more posts and it will turn to gun rights advocacy - and then get locked!

Yes sad shape when we have to discuss loaning a mower out, call it narrow minded if you wish . Just look around.

I never refered to guns or the like. Go start a FIGHT ELSEWHERE!

. . .and no one said you did! Never intended to start a fight - I've noticed that sometimes this happens that a thread goes way off topic (using the gun reference as a point of distraction.) Just wait and see where this one goes before you start TYPING IN ALL CAPS

The world just needs more twinkies! Or deep fried snickers with homemade ice cream. OREOS FOREVER!

Hugs,
Ratkity (who can turn any thread into a food discussion)

[Dan & Julie CO]

Whoa The point is we live in a latigus world, where our words and actions can be spoken of evil rather that the good that is intended. The fear that someone elses zeal to get their slice of the economic pie via
my wife and I is what gives me pause
The neighbor who on many ocassions I have reached out or answerd the call is in a wheel chair the boy is her 9yr old grandson who's mother is no where to be found. and this is the first time I have seen him extend himself to do any yard work. I'll give an example I had one more weed kill sprayer than I needed, my thoughts at the time was this would help her keep the yard work to a minimum so here ya go. I didn't even get a thanks.Instead 2 weeks later I get a call to come fix "my sprayer"
I did this with all the good intentions of being a good Neighbor.
I have gone over to jump start her car,I caught her dog for her, I have givin food from our garden. I didn't do any of these thing to get an atta boy!!! I did it because I thought it was good thing to do. but it seems as soon as I extend myself she starts to take advantage.
By the way the boy went to another home used their mower til it ran out of gas and they left it at the end of the drive way where it could be stolen

[hiker chick]

Pretty sure I'd live dangerously and lend the mower.

Unless the kid was under 12 years old, in which case I'd probably call the parents.

Maybe next time I lend a hatchet to a camping neighbor I should have them sign a liability waiver.

[eamarquardt]

I never refered to guns or the like. Go start a FIGHT ELSEWHERE!

Peace through superior fire power. After seeing video of #2 son chopping down trees in Estonia with his MK-19 and HE rounds I want an MK-19 and a supply of HE rounds.

Just go mow the lawn.

Cheers,

Gus

[MountainBiker]

My neighbors kid wanted to borrow our lawnmower a few years back. I said he could, if he cut ours too. He started cutting ours on a regular basis and I started paying him $10.00 per cut (Canadian) because it saved me the trouble
To make a long story short, he now does about 20 houses, has his own lawnmower, his brother and friend help him. he does snow shovelling in the winter, owns a used pickup truck and two dirt bikes (also used). He also works for the town on the lawn maintenance crews.
The kid is an entrepreneur. Sometimes all a kid needs is a friendly start

[Dan & Julie CO]

I did Come across a non working mower that needs fixing I may get it going and give it to his grandmother with a as is reciept By the way her lawn is about an acre in size mine is 3/4 acre and I can hardly get through cutting it without having an asthma attack from allergies
which is why I haven't offerd to cut hers

[hotrod]

My neighbors kid wanted to borrow our lawnmower a few years back. I said he could, if he cut ours too. He started cutting ours on a regular basis and I started paying him $10.00 per cut (Canadian) because it saved me the trouble
To make a long story short, he now does about 20 houses, has his own lawnmower, his brother and friend help him. he does snow shovelling in the winter, owns a used pickup truck and two dirt bikes (also used). He also works for the town on the lawn maintenance crews.
The kid is an entrepreneur. Sometimes all a kid needs is a friendly start

[eamarquardt]

I did Come across a non working mower that needs fixing I may get it going and give it to his grandmother with a as is reciept. I like this plan already. By the way her lawn is about an acre in size mine is 3/4 acre and I can hardly get through cutting it without having an asthma attack from allergies which is why I haven't offerd to cut hers. I used to mow a friend's lawn when I was young. I also had allergies. My parents had be give up the job because the doctor bills for the allergies were more than I made mowing the lawn so your thoughts make sense to me.

Cheers,

Gus

[caseydog]

I personally would not lend anything to a minor that could potentially hurt him.

And, the fact that you are worried he'll get hurt, and posted your concerns in a public forum, would make you liable, I would think. If you know there is a potential for injury, and do it anyway, you are technically being negligent.

CD

Somehow this doesn't sound all that optimistic to ME!

I'm a pragmatic optimist. The glass is half full -- so try no to spill it.


CD

[caseydog]

On topic, I would not lend a lawnmower to a kid, especially a nine year old, without knowing there was some adult supervision. An adult need to watch and make sure the kid isn't doing anything dangerous -- and step in when necessary to show the kid how to use it right. And, make sure he cleans it and puts it away when he's done.

Legal liability aside, kids need to be taught how to use power told safely, and watched over until they are competent.

Same with guns, by the way. I'd never let any minor use on of my guns without me being there to supervise -- even if the kid was my own. That, to me, is just responsible gun ownership.

Whether it is power tools or firearms, if I own it, I am responsible for it. I really don't worry about being sued (optimist), but I'd hate to have some kid get hurt with something I let him use.

CD

[High Desert]

I personally would not lend anything to a minor that could potentially hurt him.

And, the fact that you are worried he'll get hurt, and posted your concerns in a public forum, would make you liable, I would think. If you know there is a potential for injury, and do it anyway, you are technically being negligent.

CD

Somehow this doesn't sound all that optimistic to ME!

I'm a pragmatic optimist. The glass is half full -- so try no to spill it.


CD

I've been called that many times Hope for the best; plan for the worst; expect nothing; anything bad is not disappointing and anything good is a pleasant surprise

as to the topic; 9 is too young for loaning anything to IMO. Help if possible, but if it's been repeatedly unappreciated then I wouldn't blame you for turning them down.

[eamarquardt]

Whoa The point is we live in a latigus world, where our words and actions can be spoken of evil rather that the good that is intended. The fear that someone elses zeal to get their slice of the economic pie via
my wife and I is what gives me pause
The neighbor who on many ocassions I have reached out or answerd the call is in a wheel chair the boy is her 9yr old grandson who's mother is no where to be found. and this is the first time I have seen him extend himself to do any yard work. I'll give an example I had one more weed kill sprayer than I needed, my thoughts at the time was this would help her keep the yard work to a minimum so here ya go. I didn't even get a thanks.Instead 2 weeks later I get a call to come fix "my sprayer"
I did this with all the good intentions of being a good Neighbor.
I have gone over to jump start her car,I caught her dog for her, I have givin food from our garden. I didn't do any of these thing to get an atta boy!!! I did it because I thought it was good thing to do. but it seems as soon as I extend myself she starts to take advantage.
By the way the boy went to another home used their mower til it ran out of gas and they left it at the end of the drive way where it could be stolen

Why didn't you share all this in the first place? If you have the time and inclination to always be "helpful" that's great. However, it sometimes changes from your being helpful to your being used and abused. I recently plumbed two bathrooms for a friend. Took two days and, due to my health issues, I was too frazzled to gather up my tools when I finished. He said he'd gather them up and return them in the next day or two. It took three weeks to get them all back. In addition, I was "down for the count" as a result of my efforts at his place and wasn't up to cleaning up the sawdust from my table saw and planer that I used to make brackets for the new fixtures. When he came over over, a couple of days later (with only half my tools), he didn't take my suggestion that he could help me by cleaning up the mess in my driveway to heart and made a snide comment. Only a few weeks before he wanted to change out some parts in his auto's a/c system. I suggested he change the parts out at his place, bring it over to my place and I'd evacuate it and fill it with freon. He ignored my request and came over anyway, took up my whole day (and as I was just doing a bit better after a severe "episode" I really wanted to do some things of my own), sprayed my garage with oil, refused to follow my instructions on how long to let the vacuum pump run, ignored my thoughts that there was nothing wrong with the parts he replaced, argued with me when I jumpered his a/c relay and his compressor still wouldn't run because there clearly was an intermittant wiring problem, and discounted my thoughts that the wiring was the problem not anything he'd just replaced. He then told me he would "let me" put away my tools as he didn't know where they went. It's easy, I told him. they go back where you got them!

When we couldn't get the compressor to cycle he took it to his mechanic, where the wiring problem fixed itself (as intermittant problems do), and they filled it with freon, and he claimed "success" reinforcing his "opinion" that I didn't know what I was doing! It lasted a week before it stopped working again!

Next time he calls, I'm gonna be busy!

I LOVE doing favors but you sometimes have to draw the line.

Cheers,

Gus

Live and learn!

[kennyrayandersen]

I just thought I’d mention that it’s never my fault when something bad happens to me. I really can’t be held responsible for my own actions and next time I’m in a jam I expect all y’all to bail my half-sorry buttocks out!

I’m a big helper too but a lot of times people will [often ungratefully] take advantage of your generosity, but, as you said, sometimes you got to draw a line for your sake and for theirs!