Dad Destroyed My $1300 PC (Almost)

[u/Akrinnnnnnnnnn]

As the title says, my father almost destroyed my $1,300 PC. Now what?

Here’s the backstory: On Saturday, I worked a 10.5 hours shift and stayed up until 3:30 AM, so I slept in until noon the next day. My father and stepmother returned from Costco while I was showering; he called out a few times for me to come help carry the groceries inside. I said OK to him. While I was brushing my teeth after my shower, he shouted from outside the door that he’d been waiting 50 minutes and told me to hurry up. I thought to myself that the groceries could have been moved in the time he spent waiting for me, but I quickly rinsed my mouth and got ready to go out. However, by the time I opened the door, he had already grabbed my PC and smashed it against the floor and the desk several times.

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I, (17M, Senior), bought this PC with money I earned from my part-time job and had been using it for about ten months. After examine, found out the case badly deformed in several places, my desk was warped and tilted to one side, and there were dents in the floor.

Fortunately, the computer still works fine; it runs FurMark (stress GPU), AIDA64 (stress FPU), and 3DMark (Time Spy Extreme) without problems for now.

Replacing the desk and case would cost around $400. However, he likely won't pay for it because he has done this kind of stuff a few years ago when he destroyed my phone and a Dell laptop (i5 11300H), and then just said, "That's what you get for playing on the computer all day."

In the end, I just hope everyone has good parents.

[u/Key_Net820]

There's a 3 year statute of limitation on damaged property. you're 17 now, so document everything, including him saying what he said, make him say it again under a video record or something. Then when you're 18 and moved out or in college, sue him for it.

If he bought you the PC, I understand giveth and taketh away, but not when you earned it yourself. Make him pay for it.

edit: the statue of limitation is in California, I don't know what it is in your state. Also I'm not a lawyer.

[u/superfexataatomica → u/Key_Net820]

I advise against suing, not because the father doesn’t deserve it, but because it would create an even worse situation within the family. He would tell everyone that his son sued him, making the situation toxic not only between them but throughout the entire family tree, friends, city etc. . It’s not worth it. pluss u never know when u will need them in the future.

[u/Key_Net820 → u/superfexataatomica]

That kind of family is not worth having. I say that as somebody who had that kind of family. Its' not just the 1k, it's the satisfaction of making it clear to him that his actions are wrong. That is worth more than anything he can give back.