Ask Amy: Loaner couch got destroyed

DEAR AMY: A furniture dispute is turning an old friendship upside-down. During a frenzied 500-mile move, I lent a sofa to a friend and her roommates. I was moving to temporary housing. They worked for a political campaign making very little pay. The couch would allow them extra sleeping space for campaign workers stopping through, and would save me some storage costs. I expected them to take good care of it. Now that I am moving into a permanent apartment with space for the sofa, I discovered that their cat has destroyed the couch. Quotes to repair the sofa came back well above what I paid for it, so the only option is to replace the couch. This couch was purchased as part of a set. I requested that the roommate pay me full price to replace the couch, but she objected, saying that she could buy a couch for half the cost on Craigslist. She is only willing to pay for half of the value of the sofa. She doesn't seem to understand that it is part of a set and was in "like new" condition. I don't see how I should have to pay for her irresponsible pet ownership when I was doing them a favor to begin with! I don't want to ruin my relationship with my friend over a petty matter. Or am I being petty?

--Sofa-less in D.C.

DEAR SOFA-LESS: You aren't fully acknowledging that you parked this couch with your friends during a time when your alternative was to pay to ship and store it while you were in temporary housing.

You lent the sofa with the understanding that it would be used as a crash couch; your expectations about the wear and tear should have been realistic.

All the same, they definitely owe you money. They do not owe you full price of a couch, however. Couches, like new cars, start depreciating as soon as you push them off the lot.

Paying you half the retail price for this couch is reasonable. You should use the money to have a slipcover made for the couch and its matching chair.