The prosecution: Margaret
We dropped Georgia off in her own car and she didn’t pay the drop-off fee, so the fine is hers
My daughter Georgia and I have had our fair share of ups and downs. She is quite shortsighted when it comes to disagreements and can’t see my perspective a lot of the time.
Recently, my partner, Bill, and I dropped her off at the airport for a holiday. She’d stayed at ours the night before, as we live near the airport. The next day, Bill said he’d drop her off at the airport, and we used her car for the journey since it could fit all her luggage in. It was a favour to her, and she was very grateful.
However, when she got home three weeks later, she called to tell us that she had a parking ticket at home, because we didn’t pay the airport’s drop-off charge when we arrived. I said: “Oh, that’s terrible, but you should have paid the fee.” And Georgia said: “I don’t even know what that is.”
I was annoyed at the insinuation that I was to blame, and now Georgia is asking me for money to go towards paying the fine. However, when Georgia was away, Bill and I cleaned her car ourselves, so we’ve already done her plenty of favours.
Bill isn’t her biological parent; he and Georgia get on quite well, but she would never ask him for money. I also don’t want to bother Bill with the news that he incurred a fine when driving. But Georgia was quite stroppy with me, and I don’t think it’s strictly our fault, as we were doing her a favour.
Georgia is appealing against the fine so we are at a stalemate until the verdict comes out, but I have offered to foot half the bill and she doesn’t think that’s good enough. She said it was our job to look after the drop-off fee as we were the ones driving her. I understand that, but we didn’t really have to drop her in the first place.
I believe I am in the right because, as a mother, I’ve done my fair share for Georgia over the years, but she gets very heated over minor details like this. I suppose kids don’t ever see the bigger picture. Georgia is 32 and single, so she doesn’t yet have kids of her own. Maybe when she does, she will understand my perspective a little more.
The defence: Georgia
I didn’t know you had to pay for drop-off. Mum knew and didn’t tell me, so she should help pay
If someone offers to do you a favour and they mean it, you should expect them to do it to the best of their ability. But my mum has a habit of doing half-arsed favours, and then getting annoyed when I call her out.
She says, “You should be grateful that we dropped you off at the airport.” But she didn’t follow through with everything and forgot to pay the drop-off fee. How is that my fault?
As her partner Bill was driving my car instead of theirs, the fine is now in my name. I have done my research, and don’t think I will have to pay the fine as the car park can’t prove who was driving. But the whole thing is still a hassle.
It wasn’t nice to come back to two letters about this fine straight after my holiday, and it’s already doubled. When I told my mum, her immediate reaction was to blame me. Instead of admitting that she forgot the drop-off fee, she said, “Oh, but you should have paid that.” I don’t even know what it is, as I’ve never driven to the airport before.
Bill and Mum have driven there many times, and usually take their own car. They always remember the rules then. But the one time they took my car, they forgot. Funny, that. I don’t know if Bill knows he is responsible for the fine – maybe my mum hasn’t told him. She seems to be blaming me to preserve their relationship.
I understand that they were both doing me a favour. I was grateful at the time and have thanked them many times. But the fact they helped me out doesn’t make me liable for the fine. If they had driven me there in their car, they would have just paid the fee, so why am I stressing about this? The fine is in my name as it’s my car, but legally I don’t think I am liable. I put that in my appeal.
I am waiting for the result of the appeal, but I will accept half of the fine from Mum if we don’t win. I also don’t want to cause problems between her and Bill. But if this had happened with a friend or another family member, I would expect them to foot the entire bill and not just blame it on me.
The jury of Guardian readers
Should Georgia foot at least some of the bill?
There’s nothing more annoying than someone offering to do you a favour and then making a pig’s ear of it, creating more hassle than you had to begin with. Margaret and Bill made a mistake, and it’s unfair to pin that on Georgia.
Henry, 29
Georgia should accept her mum’s offer to split the fine. They did her a favour, and there was a misunderstanding over the drop-off. It was Georgia’s holiday and car. A fine isn’t worth a fight. At 32, she should stop the pettiness, pay half or all of it, and move on.
Tania, 37
Margaret is doing all the favours here, and any thanks Georgia offers her are grudging. Margaret’s offer to pay half of the fine seems generous in the circumstances. Perhaps Georgia should take a taxi to the airport next time.
Ian, 81
It’s the driver’s responsibility to keep an eye out for charges, and the mistake was Bill’s. However, Georgia should pay the full fine because Bill and her mum took time out of their day to take her to the airport.
Pauliina, 53
They’ve all messed up, but the buck stops with Georgia as it’s her car, driven on her behalf. The drop-off fee is common knowledge, and Georgia should have researched it beforehand. She’s lucky Margaret is offering to go halves.
Kate, 63
Now you be the judge
In our online poll, tell us: should Georgia cough up?
The poll closes on Wednesday 21 January at 9am GMT
Last week’s results
We asked whether Maya should stop wearing shoes in the house.
80% of you said yes – Maya is guilty
20% of you said no – Maya is innocent
