Liability and Collection: What to Do?

Questioner

Can you still be held liable for damage costs after 6 months if no damage report and liability statement have been made while the damage has already been repaired?

Lawyer

That is possible, but the person who holds you liable may have a problem with evidence.

Questioner

The party with the damage had a damage investigation carried out by employees of the company that also carried out the repair work via a third party. Notes were made on a work order about suspicions that the damage (due to leakage) was caused from my home. I was not informed about this investigation and the costs at the time. Eight months later, I received an invoice from the party that had commissioned the investigation of the damage, without an accompanying letter. I objected to this invoice via three different e-mail addresses of the organisation that demanded payment. My objection was not responded to. The organisation has now called in a debt collection agency to make me pay 500 euros on the grounds that I was the person who caused the damage. Is this allowed?

Lawyer

That is a special course of events. Anyone who believes they have a claim on someone else is always free to engage a collection agency, but it seems to me that you should be able to successfully defend yourself against this claim. The first step would be to make your objections known to the collection agency. If desired, I can help you with that.