Doing computer work outside on a clear, blue day is a nice change of scenery.

Especially if you’re in your own backyard with nothing to worry about.

So, how would you react if your neighbor’s child broke your laptop while you went inside the house for a moment?

Would you expect them to replace it? And what if they refused?

In the following story, a high school student found themselves in this exact predicament.

Let’s see how it played out.

AITA for sending my neighbor venmo requests every day until he pays for the laptop his kid broke?

I am a high school student and live with my family. I was doing some homework on the patio table outside and I was the only one home.

I went inside to refill my water bottle and came back out to see my laptop on the ground, and my neighbors kid running around the deck.

The neighbor lives next door in a different house, we don’t have a shared yard, so I was not expecting his kid coming around.

Ring cameras always tell the truth.

I tried to catch her and ask what had happened to the laptop and she ran away to her own house and wouldn’t talk to me

I went home and checked on the ring camera and saw a video of my neighbors kid running into the yard, running under the table, pushing up on the underside of the table causing everything on it to tilt and slide to the ground, and running away, in the under a minute I’d been inside.

I downloaded the video to my phone and went to the neighbors house to ask him for money to replace the laptop.

As you would expect, they asked the neighbor to cover the costs.

I decided to ask for $1700 for the laptop and $159 for the lost time that I spent doing the homework that I’d have to redo.

I valued my lost time at the amount I’m paid at work since I’d likely have to skip a couple shifts at work to redo the assignment.

I went to the neighbors house and he said he wasn’t gonna pay because I shouldn’t have left the laptop out and anything could have happened like rain or something.

I said it was a clear day and I only went inside for a minute. Anyway “anything” didn’t happen, I had a video of his kid ‘happening’ to my laptop and since she was too little to pay for it herself he had to as her dad.

He said no.

Aggravated, they started sending Venmo requests daily.

Now this might be petty but I have his Venmo because my family and his family did a barbecue block party thing and I had to pay him for a share of the shopping.

So, every day I’ve sent a $1859 request to him and he keeps declining it.

I told my family and they think I shouldn’t of left out the laptop and that I was harassing him doing that and they will replace it for me.

They would use some of my college fund money.

But I feel like they shouldn’t have to pay. Plus I’ll need that college fund for college!

With nowhere left to turn, they asked for advice on Facebook.

So I’ve kept Venmo requesting him and also posted the video from the camera on the community Facebook saying:

“Hey any advice here? I had a neighbors kid come to my house and break something expensive, on camera. Are they supposed to pay and how can I do that? The parents have been refusing to pay a bunch of times. Is there some homeowner insurance to help? Sorry for dumb questions, I’m a high schooler and have never dealt with something like this before!”

Anyway my parents found the post and got upset at me for stirring the pot, and for continuing to venmo request him.

AITA?

Eek! Sure, that’s an expensive laptop to replace, but the child should’ve known better than to do a thing like that.

Let’s see what Reddit readers had to say about this issue.

This person has a good understanding of what should’ve happened.

Great point; the neighbor shows a lack of empathy.

This is actually really good advice.

This person thinks everyone involved should do better.

The neighbor should certainly try to work out a deal.

After all, their kid broke the laptop. But they really should’ve called the cops.

If you liked that story, read this one about grandparents who set up a college fund for their grandkid because his parents won’t, but then his parents want to use the money to cover sibling’s medical expenses.