Does a merchant have to provide an itemized list if they are charging you for damages?
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Does a merchant have to provide an itemized list if they are charging you for damages?
My husband rented a truck for his business; it was already damaged. Now they have sent a bill for $5,000 and say that we have to pay it. However, they will not provide us with an itemized list of these
damages. We are refusing to pay until they provide such list. Do we have legal ground to stand on in
refusing to pay? Our argument is that if we have to file on our insurance, they are going to most
definitely demand an itemized list of what was charged and why.
Asked on March 20, 2018 under Accident Law, North Carolina
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
If they refuse to document or prove the damages to you, you can refuse to pay. They can then sue you, if they want; in the lawsuit, to win, they will have to identify the damage and prove that you caused it. So ultimately, to get any money from you, they will have to provide you the itemized list you want. Unfortunately, you can't force them to be smart and provide it voluntarily now; they can just demand the money now and then, when you refuse to pay, sue, and not provide the information/documentation until the lawsuit.
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