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Monday, January 23, 2006 12:00 AM

Our host reimbursed us for a theft in his house

My father is furious that my boyfriend accepted money when we were guests in Africa.

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  • Sunday, January 22, 2006 09:27 PM

    The boyfriend bears some responsibility...

    This is quite a difficult situation to resolve with all of the differing levels of expectation involved- at the most preliminary level, we can examine the ethical implications (and I call this preliminary only because it dictates the parameters for how one person should treat another, regardless of any more complicating personal relationship.)

    To resolve the ethical matter, the key is to establish whose negligence contributed the most to the theft. The boyfriend left 1000 USD in his wallet, on the floor. He did this in a place where that amount of money could be anywhere from 3 months to a full year of the wage earned by the housekeepers. He did not hide the money anywhere, put it in a drawer, or, as one earlier writer suggested, keep it in a form less amenable to theft (like traveler's checks.) His negligence is the proximal contributing element of the theft, and the house owner's negligence is more peripheral.

    The house owner shares some blame, and although ethics do not require them to reimburse anyone, it is reasonable and decent that he make an offer to do so. It should be assumed that this is an honest offer, and the boyfriend should not feel bad about accepting the offer.

    The father of the girlfriend has no business interfering at all.

    Regarding the reasoning of the other posters on the board, I would like to congratulate all of those who argue that they would feel responsible if this were to happen in their home, and would offer reimbursement. To anyone who mentioned the wealth of the house owner, that has nothing to do with it. It should not change the ethics of the situation or the obligations of the people involved.

    Now, as to what can be done, there are many fewer options, given that the father has insinuated himself into the problem, and the whole thing boils down to what is worth more to the boyfriend: the respect of the father, or the money?

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