Ask Amy: Pal wrecked sofa, won't pay in full

Dear Amy:

During a frenzied 500-mile move for a job, I lent a sofa to a friend and her roommates. I was moving to temporary housing, and they worked for a political campaign making very little pay. The couch would allow them extra sleeping space for campaign workers stopping through, and would save me some storage costs.

Now that I am moving into a permanent apartment with space for the sofa, I discovered that the household cat has destroyed the couch.

Quotes to repair the sofa came back well above what I paid for it new, so the only option is to replace the couch, which was purchased as part of a set.

I requested that the roommate pay me full price to replace the couch, but she is objecting, saying she could buy a couch for half the cost on Craigslist. She doesn't seem to understand that it is part of a set and was in, at worst, "like new" condition.

I don't see how I should have to pay for her irresponsible pet ownership when I was doing them a favor to begin with!

Dear Sofa-less: You aren't fully acknowledging that you parked this couch with your friends during a time when your alternative was to pay to ship and store it while you were in temporary housing and then have it transported again to your new apartment.

You lent the sofa to them with the understanding that it would be used as a crash couch; your expectations about the wear and tear should have been realistic.

All the same, they definitely owe you money. They do not owe you full price of a couch, however.

Paying you half the retail price for this couch is reasonable. You should use the money to have a slipcover made for the couch and its matching chair.