Cliffs:
-Have a bro who is married + kids
-Lets his in-laws borrow a piece of fairly expensive landscaping equipment
-Bro gives in-laws some pointers on how to run and operate it, lets them borrow the owner's manual, etc.
-Regardless, in-laws fuk it up beyond belief. Likely not salvageable; the engine will need to be replaced.When he picked it up it was topped off with oil.
-Not only did they fuk it up, they tried to pass it off like "hurr durr I didn't even really use it that much srsly I had no problems with it"
-Given the circumstances there is absolutely no way the in-laws didn't fuk it up

So my bro is in a bad spot. Based off my few conversations with him about it he's considering just eating the cost of everything himself, rather than have it snowball into a big ordeal and get his in-laws to buy him a new one and create a bigger rift with all parties (including the wife, kids loves playing with their cousins, etc.) Sounds retarded as hell and I told him I would take my in-laws to small claims court if need be, but I guess that's why I'm still single. IMO it's just one of those things that needs to happen

Any married miscers here ever have a similar situation? If you didn't get along with your in-laws in the first place would it change anything?

i wood ask them to pay for repairs not a brand new one. if they deny then i wood never lend them anything again

he should lay out the facts:
-i dropped it off at in-laws in good condition
-received it in damaged condition

any non-potato would see where he’s coming from. if he’s a man with testicles he should pick this hill to die on. if his wife calls the shots he can go buy a new riding mower at sears like a little beta cuck

women that run relationships ruin the relationship for everyone

He needs to take it up with his wife.

Id never let my parents fuk up something of my wifes and not call them out and make them pay for it.

That being said, in laws already sound like **** people if they cant even own up to fuking it up and trying to play it off

yeah the relationships all-around are kind of rocky. Bro and wife are in counseling, his wife is kind of hot/cold with her family so she's being distant about it, and on and on. He's definitely got his balls in someone else's jar.

Me I was rustled by the fact these grown adults tried to play the "I dindu nuffin it was like that when I found it" game so I would go the distance to teach them a lesson.

Tough call, but at least get them to split the cost of a repair/rebuild. It was lent out fine and then broken when returned, that's cut and dried. Too bad they are the type of people you can't rely on though, especially linked as family. I'd also never lend them/do favours for them ever again unfortunately, especially if they don't admit fault.

I wouldn’t take my family to small courts. That would mean effectively ending of our relationship. I would however make it clear that they ****ed it up and I’m not happy about it. If they don’t own up, I would assert it to my wife that they ****ed it up and would never let them borrow anything ever again. That’s as far as I would go, with making sure that my wife knows never to ask me again to give them a favor.

1st move don’t get married

Disclaimer: I'm not married.

Your brah's situation is the textbook definition of the phrase "between a rock and a hard place." It is a uniquely difficult situation. What's the cost on eating the price of the landscaping equipment?

Rule number 1 when lending people anything. Be it money, garden equipmetnt, a car, it doesn’t matter. You should be prepared to lose it.

Right answer therefore: Forgive, but don’t forget.

Tell them they should pay for the repairs, and if they refuse just say be cool and say you still think they should pay for it, but that you don’t want to argue about it, and you’ll take care of it.

Then, never lend them anything again.

What was it

Wife’s relatives, wife’s problem.

I would expect her to deal with it and she should be just as pissed off as he is if not more

Idk man, seeing both my mother and father get along so well with each others in laws, i vant really understand it

Your brother eating the cost is the smart thing. If you feel for him because of his dumb in-laws hes your brother give him a break on 1-100% on it depends on how your relationship is what he means to you.

What have we learned?

Don't lend expensive equipment to people.

You can rent most anything up to mini excavators locally in most places assuming you don't live in butt fook nowhere. If it can't be rented and you want to help them out you operate the equipment yourself for them.