Letting family borrow your car might seem like a kind gesture, until it turns into a really expensive mistake.

So, what would you do if your cousin totaled your vehicle and then tried to decide how much they should pay you back? Would you let them patch it up on the cheap? Or would you hold them accountable for the full value of what they wrecked?

In the following story, one person finds himself in this exact situation and decides to set some boundaries. Here’s what happened.

AITAH for asking my cousin to pay up after crashing my car?

I need some advice on a situation with my cousin.

About a year ago, I bought a 2015 Audi A4 for $8k, using a mix of my savings and some extra cash I won from a sports bet on Stake.

I’ve done a few tweaks to it, nothing too crazy, just stuff that makes it more ‘me.’

I’m not super materialistic, so I’ve let my cousin and a few friends borrow it sometimes, thinking they’d be careful.

They weren’t careful.

Turns out, my cousin wasn’t as careful as I thought. He ended up crashing it, and since it was a single-vehicle accident, insurance won’t cover it.

The car’s pretty much totaled, though technically it could be repaired, but I don’t want to deal with potential issues down the line.

Unfortunately, they did not agree on what should happen next.

I told him I’m glad he’s okay, but I need $7k to replace the car, considering it’s a bit older now. I could sell the wrecked car for around $2k.

He’s upset and says he can fix it for $3k.

We argued, and he accused me of trying to take advantage of the situation.

I’m not trying to make a profit, I just want a car that’s as safe and reliable as it was before the accident.

AITA?

Yikes! This situation stinks for everyone involved.

Let’s see what advice the folks over at Reddit have to offer.

According to this comment, the cousin owes $8k.

This is advice everyone should live by.

Here’s someone who suggests getting him money and then not letting the cousin drive his car again.

Great point – he needs to check this.

He needs to be more responsible.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.