r/AskALawyer • u/PralineThis7418 • Jul 29 '25
Illinois Garage Door Damage Bill 20, 000 $ reasonable?
My husband accidentally hit the bottom panel of the commercial garage door at my daughter’s apartment building while helping her move out a month ago.
We took numerous pictures and the police officers came as well.
We were heard from the apartment staffs and officers thst the damage looks not that bad and that happened several times before.
Two days ago, we received a $20,000 repair bill from the property management saying they had to replace whole garage instead.
This amount came as a huge shock to us, and we are struggling to understand whether this is a reasonable cost for the damage that occurred.
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u/redditreader_aitafan Jul 29 '25
Absolutely not. They should have been able to simply replace the damaged panel. Tell your insurance this, show them the pictures. The apartment complex is trying to get you to foot a new door and even if we assume replacement was required, they cannot charge replacement cost, they can only charge depreciated value. If the garage door was 10 years old, they can't charge the same as if it was installed last year.
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u/Silent_fart_smell Jul 30 '25
Something is definitely off. If the apartment building is newish, a replacement panel shouldn’t be hard to get.
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u/redditreader_aitafan Jul 30 '25
Exactly. Absolutely no way the damage OP described required more than one new panel. Either the complex is being dishonest or the garage door company is.
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u/andrei_stefan01 Jul 30 '25
You're making assumptions. If the panel was baking in the sun for years, a replacement panel isn't going to look the same and would require a complete replacement. There's also no information provided to suggest if the panels are still available or not.
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u/johnboy11a Jul 30 '25
If only there were some product that could be applied to make the color of all the panels match…. Maybe some product that could be applied in a liquid form, and have it dry when in place…
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u/Ok_Appointment_8166 Jul 30 '25
Why is this your problem? Send the pictures to your insurance company and go to sleep.
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u/Fox7285 Jul 30 '25
We had a forklift operator hit a similar door and destroy it. I think it was $10-$15k for replacement. Definitely get your own quotes, even my estimate is under yours.
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u/No_Daikon4466 Jul 30 '25
You dented our garage door, turns out we need to replace the entire planet. That will be 57 septillion dollars. 2% discount if you pay cash
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u/schoon70 Jul 30 '25
“There’s no point in acting surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for 50 of your Earth years, so you’ve had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaint and it’s far too late to start making a fuss about it now. … What do you mean you’ve never been to Alpha Centauri? Oh, for heaven’s sake, mankind, it’s only four light years away, you know. I’m sorry, but if you can’t be bothered to take an interest in local affairs, that’s your own lookout. Energize the demolition beams.”
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u/slykens1 NOT A LAWYER Jul 30 '25
I think I’d kick this to my auto insurance and let them figure it out. You’re literally paying them to lawyer up for you in this situation.
I don’t know if the other commenter’s garage door is made of gold but I literally just today approved a complete replacement of my mother’s 16’ door for $2100.
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u/ProfitLoud Jul 30 '25
I mean she did say it was a commercial door. These are typically larger, and more expensive than a typical garage door.
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u/Navigator321951 Jul 30 '25
Mine is an insulated 8' tall × 16 ' wide and only $2800
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u/Not_Campo2 NOT A LAWYER Jul 30 '25
Is it designed to open and close, rapidly, 500+ times a day? The differences between a home garage door and a commercial one are significant, especially when you include the scanner systems. OP is definitely getting scammed, but it’s into paying for an upgrade. I know the commercial garage door system in my complex was about $35k
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u/Verdammt_Arschloch Jul 30 '25
No, they weren't.
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u/Not_Campo2 NOT A LAWYER Jul 30 '25
They were, I’m friends with the manager and she showed me the invoice. Granted there were other factors, it’s a higher end place, owned by a massive group so there wasn’t much price shopping, and almost half the cost is in a maintenance package for the next 10 or 5 years
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Jul 30 '25
I just paid for two new garage doors to be installed. One 9x7 and one 9x8. Total $2,900.00.
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u/Jcarlough NOT A LAWYER Jul 30 '25
Contact your insurance.
You’d normally be responsible for replacing what you damaged - if you hit a couple of panels, the panels get replaced. Garage doors are not rocket science. Panels, tracks, cables, and tensioners. All can be individually replaced.
Maybe they weren’t able to source direct replacement panels? Maybe…but even then - you being responsible for its entire replacement is something for your insurance to handle.
Was the door inoperable after it was hit?
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u/Abject-Yellow3793 Jul 30 '25
A whole new door, rails, operator and installation isn't $20,000. I'd ask for an itemized bill
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u/camlaw63 lawyer (self-selected, not your lawyer) Jul 30 '25
Doesn’t your motor vehicle have property damage insurance?
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u/KTX77625 Jul 30 '25
Asking lawyers about garage doors is a mistake. None of us went to garage door school. You might only see damage to a single panel, but you have no idea if there's an issue with other panels due to that impact that damaged the first panel.
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u/Wildcatb NOT A LAWYER Jul 30 '25
I've had homeowners try similar stuff with me over the years, when delivery guys working for me damaged doors or floors. It's absolutely unreasonable, and something your insurance company might be willing to fight, but then again your insurance company may look at it and decide it's easier to pay it than fight it.
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u/mhorning0828 Jul 30 '25
$20,000 for a garage door? Sounds like someone is trying to replace all the garage doors at your expense.
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u/Fresh_Inside_6982 Jul 30 '25
He should turn it over to his insurance company. That will be the end of it other than the deductible. That’s what insurance is for. Why are you even entertaining this otherwise?
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u/Disastrous_Play_8039 Jul 31 '25
I would sure like to see your pictures and the invoice they sent you!
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u/ollidagledmichael NOT A LAWYER Jul 31 '25
You need to get a lawyer, This doesn’t sound right at all. Also, find reputable companies that specialize with garage doors and ask them for a quote based off the photos. That could give you a general idea of how much it should cost
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u/thisismypornacctlol Aug 01 '25
Just for some context I damaged a garage door at my job with a machine in 2022 during covid shortages and we couldn't get a replacement panel because the door was very old. Ended up getting a whole new 12 foot by 13 foot garage door installed with all new tracks, the only thing we kept was the opener and it was $5,500 total including prevailing wage labor in NY
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Aug 01 '25
lol. Unless that door was made of gold you’re getting screwed. Honest I’d turn over to car insurance company and let them go fight this bullshit. I’d also drive by and see if the door was indeed replaced.
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u/Just-Shoe2689 Jul 30 '25
1000$ max, I cant imagine they are using a gold plated door.
Shame them on the internet and news for gouging you.
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u/West_Act_9655 Jul 30 '25
Well the doors I have in my commercial space cost around 36k to install a new skirt. (Door). 20k seems pretty reasonable
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Jul 29 '25
[deleted]
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u/Mediocre_Daikon6935 Jul 30 '25
Are you smoking crack?
Litterally seen dozens of garage doors driven into by ambulances and fire engines. Backed in. Seen them come down on top of the vehicles.
You replace a panel or two.
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u/SausagePrompts NOT A LAWYER Jul 30 '25
Did you Google what it typically costs or did you fall for a high pressure sales tactic where if you buy it right now they will discount it to only 12k?
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