Update! 'AITA for taking my niece to court over a coat?': Teen destroys $20k coat and brags about her prank online

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 19, 2023 5:00 PM EDT

This is going to be the most expensive mistake this teen ever made after her aunt considers suing her! 

On a throwaway account, this woman wrote to r/AmItheA**hole with an important question regarding a family matter. As the OP writes, she married into a wealthy family who shower her with expensive presents. One of those happens to be a coat worth over $20,000! The OP writes that originally, she was hesitant to wear it after finding out how pricey the garment was. Apparently she had a premonition about what was going to happen. 

This woman's niece sounds not just like a dumb teen, but a malicious and dumb teen. She managed to destroy her aunt's expensive coat, and not only that, but she bragged about her deeds online. Her clout seeking is clearly going to cost her, though, as the OP shared in an update to the story. 

 After that, this traveller was psyched to get off an airplane first, but they didn't count on the other passengers getting seriously annoyed about it. 

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  • 01
    White - ******** "My niece posted a reel...she said, 'I'm going to hit my aunt's $20k coat with a paint-filled balloon to see how she reacts""
    via Lea Øchel
  • 02
    Font - r/AmItheA Posted by u/throooowaaaayt 24 F 36 AITAA for taking my niece to court over a coat? Not the A-hole 2 I(28F) have a niece (16F). She is my only sister's only child. 2 years ago I married a very wealthy man (34M), and because of the pandemic, last Christmas was my first with my in-laws.
    via u/throooowaaaayt
  • 03
    Font - My MIL gifted me a coat that is worth more than $20k (I saw her wearing it, asked her where she bought it, and she said that it will be my Christmas gift from her).
    via u/throooowaaaayt
  • 04
    Font - I didn't know how much it was (I knew it was expensive, but I thought maybe $3k at most). I was visiting my sister last January when my niece saw it, she googled the brand and showed me how much it really was. I won't lie, I didn't wear it after that because I was afraid of ruining it.
    via u/throooowaaaayt
  • 05
    Font - Last week, I wore it while visiting my sister. While I was putting it back on to leave, I felt something go splat on my back, then my niece started cackling and the smell of paint hit me. I was so ped off while she was not apologitic at all. Her mom screamed at her and said she was grounded. Then she said she will pay for the dry cleaning.
    via u/throooowaaaayt
  • 06
    Font - While I was in my car, still in shock BTW, I got an alert that my niece posted a reel, it was of her doing a prank on me, and she said "I'm going to hit my aunt's $20k coat with a paint filled balloon to see how she reacts". I saved it on my phone, sent it to her mom and told her that a week's grounding is not enough. She did not reply, but I saw that my niece took it down (it got less than 5 views by then).
    via u/throooowaaaayt
  • 07
    Font - The next day I found out my coat can not be saved, so I called my sister and told her that her daughter has to pay it back. Well, we got into an argument and she said that they will not be paying it, and if I wanted a new one, I should get my husband to buy it for me. I think that they should pay for it (they can afford to, IMO they should sell my niece's car and pay me back my money).
    via u/throooowaaaayt
  • 08
    Font - We did not reach an agreement, so I told her that I will be suing, and reminded her that I have video evidence that her daughter A) did it on purpose for online clout and B) knew exactly how expensive it was. People in my life are not objective at all, I have some calling me an AH, some saying they are the AHS for not buying me a new one, and some so obsessed with the price of the coat that they are calling me an AH for simply owning it and wanting a new one. So AITA? Edit: sorry for not
    via u/throooowaaaayt
  • 09

    Here's the update --- this niece must be really regretting her stupid prank now!

    Font - Posted by u/throooowaaaayt 35 € UPDATE: AITA for taking my niece to court over a coat? r/AmItheA UPDATE 10 Here's the original post So here is a quick update, since the situation has been resolved.
    via u/throooowaaaayt
  • 10
    Font - When my husband got home, I told him what happened and showed him the video. He asked if I spoke with my BIL and I said no, all my conversations were with my sister. He said that he will take care of it.
    via u/throooowaaaayt
  • 11
    Font - Now, a disclaimer: I understand nothing when it comes to insurance claims, and this is what my husband told me/I understood happened. My husband talked with my BIL, told him exactly what happened and showed him the prank video. Then he told him that the coat was insured, we will be filing a claim and submitting the video, and we might have to file charges for the claim (he assured him that we would be dropping the charges, we do not want to send niece to jail).
    via u/throooowaaaayt
  • 12
    Font - Then he told him that one of two things might happen: after our insurance pays us, they will come after them. If their insurance pays, their premium will skyrocket. If it doesn't, they might sue them, and might get a lien on their house.
    via u/throooowaaaayt
  • 13
    Font - My BIL asked if there was a way he could pay us without involving insurance, my husband told him that that was what we wanted at first, but that my sister insisted that they will not be paying us back.
    via u/throooowaaaayt
  • 14
    Font - Apparently, my BIL was not in the know, and he was very ped off at what my niece did, and my sister's response. So they came to this solution: my niece's car will be sold, and if it doesn't fetch the whole compensation money, she will have to get a job and pay me the whole check untill it is paid off. Also she is grounded for the rest of the school year. I am thankful for the people who encouraged me to talk with my husband.
    via u/throooowaaaayt
  • 15
    Font - LadyCass79 Supreme Court Just-a [139] What an excellent resolution. Thanks for sharing it. Your brother in law is a very good man. I hope your sister realizes how lucky she is to have a man with integrity. Hopefully, your niece is getting a timely life lesson that helps her future adult self understand more about life consequences.
    via u/LadyCass 79
  • 16
    Font - TheSilverNoble Yeah I think this it's exactly right. Teenagers are interesting in this way, I think. They're smart enough to know how to cause real damage, but don't have the life experience to really understand the scope of what they're doing. Idk about yall but I'd never had more than a couple hundred dollars at once in high school, I couldn't really have understood how much $20,000 is in the real world. Things like this can help them understand the scope, and maybe, just maybe, teach t
    via u/TheSilverNoble
  • 17
    Font - Dipping_My_Toes Colo-rectal Surgeon [47] That's a fair outcome that avoids lifetime level consequences for the niece and still stings hard enough to make the point. Communication is always a good place to start and very glad your BIL stepped up to handle the situation appropriately.
    via u/Dipping_My_Toes
  • 18
    Font - Beorbin Her lifetime level consequence is the irreparable damage to her relationship with a close family member. Her motives and flippant attitude don't paint a contrite or trustworthy impression of her either.
    via u/Beorbin
  • 19
    Font - HoldFast02 Colo-rectal Surgeon [31] Agreed. The niece did a stupid, ed-up thing, and needs to feel the consequences, but she doesn't deserve to go to jail over that. Being grounded, losing her car and possibly have to work to pay it all off is a reasonable punishment.
    via u/HoldFast02

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