This past weekend, my roommate took out the trash the morning before he went out of town for the long weekend (in the US). However, as he did so, the trash leaked a significant amount all around the entrance of our apartment which he claims he did not notice as he headed out. Neither myself or my other roommate were home at the time.
It was a warm day in our city and as I returned at night from a full day of being out, I noticed a very off-putting odor in our apartment building – it smelled a bit like urine, litter boxes, feces, and decomposing trash. I opened the door to our apartment and was met with an unlovely surprise. There was brown liquid-like stains all over our floor and shoe rack, which was overshadowed by the worst odor I’ve ever come across to date. Based on the stains and smell, I genuinely thought someone had a bathroom emergency and was not able to make it to the toilet in time. The heat of the day only made matters worse as it baked the smell into the floor and infiltrated every corner of our apartment.
(I cannot understate how awful the smell was – that night, I had to stay at a friends place as I aired out my own apartment because it truly smelled like a decomposing corpse had shit itself. Even now, a few days later, the smell persists lightly.)
I reached out to my roommate who told me that it was caused by the trash leaking and that he was out of town for the next 2 days, leaving me to clean up the mess and figure out how to deodorize our entire apartment. As I cleaned, I noticed that the trash leakage also got onto my shoes leaving a huge stain on one of them. I tried to clean them but the smell and stain would not budge so I’m obliged to toss them.
My roommate was apologetic about the whole situation, and I also understand this was more of a careless incident than an intentional crime. However, my shoes were caught in the crossfire, so I asked him to compensate. The shoes cost $150 and I only asked him to pay me back for half that cost ($75) because these were shoes that had been used.
My roommate countered saying that we should explore less expensive options including him personally trying to clean the shoes (which Ive already attempted).
AITA for asking for some financial compensation for my shoes?
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This past weekend, my roommate took out the trash the morning before he went out of town for the long weekend (in the US). However, as he did so, the trash leaked a significant amount all around the entrance of our apartment which he claims he did not notice as he headed out. Neither myself or my other roommate were home at the time.
It was a warm day in our city and as I returned at night from a full day of being out, I noticed a very off-putting odor in our apartment building – it smelled a bit like urine, litter boxes, feces, and decomposing trash. I opened the door to our apartment and was met with an unlovely surprise. There was brown liquid-like stains all over our floor and shoe rack, which was overshadowed by the worst odor I’ve ever come across to date. Based on the stains and smell, I genuinely thought someone had a bathroom emergency and was not able to make it to the toilet in time. The heat of the day only made matters worse as it baked the smell into the floor and infiltrated every corner of our apartment.
(I cannot understate how awful the smell was – that night, I had to stay at a friends place as I aired out my own apartment because it truly smelled like a decomposing corpse had shit itself. Even now, a few days later, the smell persists lightly.)
I reached out to my roommate who told me that it was caused by the trash leaking and that he was out of town for the next 2 days, leaving me to clean up the mess and figure out how to deodorize our entire apartment. As I cleaned, I noticed that the trash leakage also got onto my shoes leaving a huge stain on one of them. I tried to clean them but the smell and stain would not budge so I’m obliged to toss them.
My roommate was apologetic about the whole situation, and I also understand this was more of a careless incident than an intentional crime. However, my shoes were caught in the crossfire, so I asked him to compensate. The shoes cost $150 and I only asked him to pay me back for half that cost ($75) because these were shoes that had been used.
My roommate countered saying that we should explore less expensive options including him personally trying to clean the shoes (which Ive already attempted).
AITA for asking for some financial compensation for my shoes?
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> 1) I demanded that my roommate pay me some back for the shoes he had damaged
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Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.
NTA, part of life is fixing your mistakes and that includes paying people back when you destroy their stuff.
NTA, but I’d allow roomie to attempt to clean the shoes. That will allow him to experience just how bad the staining is, so he knows it is not something you are just trying to get out of him. And, if by some miracle he actually can get the stain and the smell out, win/win.
This is a very tough, for you, question. If you must have compensation, be ready to be met with hostility going forward. Do all roommates leave shoes at this location? They were in a place where this was always a possibility, after all. They were careless and the shoes were not the only casualty as the floor and general area were affected. I don’t know, we all must take steps to protect our things and valuable shoes next to the trash can is not really much effort in that regard. I’m going to stay with no particular judgement that you should chalk it up to a perfect storm of bad decisions on both parties. Yes, he did it but, you left shoes exposed. Unless he is a very fair person and is willing to pay, there will be no good that comes from pressing the issue with him. Learn from this and just accept the loss also, move the shoes somewhere else.
NAH but YMBTA if you don’t look towards a closer compromise.
This seems like a genuine accident and oversight that could happen to anyone. I see no malice or even intentional negligence here. If he was taking out the trash and it all spilled over the rack and he noticed and made efforts instantly and the shoes were still ruined would you be demanding money?
Your friend appears to want to make amends, but 75 is too steep for them. Is money the only thing you are looking for here? If so, maybe ask for less. If not, maybe he can be in charge of more of the cleaning for a bit or something like that. Good luck
NAH but like…your friend seemingly genuinely did no part of this intentionally and genuinely would struggle to pay that much.
YWBTA if you pushed this, probably.
I assume that trash management is a shared responsibility? If the leakage from that bag was as toxic as you say then you are collectively bad at trash management. How was there even that much liquid in the trash, why was it so foul?
However you resolve this, going forward you both need to up your trash game. Don’t put wet things in the trash. If you must put wet things in the trash, bag them up separately.
Consider getting a smaller bin and taking the trash out more frequently, that will reduce the chance of your stewing up a suppurating hell-broth in the bag.
And put your shoes away.
INFO: Was this the apartment/kitchen trash he took out or his personal trash from his bedroom?
Who put the liquid in the bag and why weren’t your shoes in your room?
NTA. Anytime you damage someone’s personal belongings, even on accident, one should offer recompense. So you are not the a hole for asking them.
Just because how you ask and to be firm about reminders without being aggresive or a nag
Over react much? This was way over the top.
NAH
It was an accident and he should pay but let him try to clean them first. It probably won’t be successful but he can have the opportunity and then you can discuss payment.
You’d be the ass. It doesn’t sound like they were particularly negligent. Yall need better trash bags. The Costco ones flex very well.
You should let your roommate try to clean your shoes, and when he can’t then you ask for the $75.
INFO: Were your shoes put away or where they tossed in a path of travel?