Settlement on Taking a Sum of Money
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa No. ( 13759 )
Q: I was involved in a car accident some time ago. I was driving on my correct path when suddenly the driver of another car cut in front of us and collided with us, causing damage to my car. When we went to the traffic department, the fault was placed on the other driver. We reached an agreement at the traffic department that he would repair my car, since the fault was his. We went to the repair shops in that area and took representatives from three shops, with three people from each shop. We went to the car, which was at the traffic department, and each representative gave an invoice for the cost of the repair at his shop. I agreed to the lowest of the three invoices, which was two thousand riyals. Since I am not from the area where the accident occurred, I took the money to my area to have it repaired there, which is fifty kilometers from the area where the accident happened. Before I took the money from him, a soldier came to us and said, "Why don't you go to another shop that might be cheaper than this amount?" I said, "I have no objection, and if the amount exceeds the sum we agreed upon, you will pay the difference." He said, "I have already agreed to the first amount, and I do not want to go to other shops." I took the money and the car to my area and had the car repaired at one of the shops for 1000 riyals. At that time, I was in
need of the remaining 1000 riyals, so I spent it on my need. Is it obligatory for me to return the 1000 riyals, or do I keep it? He agreed to the amount based on the invoices from the shop owners, which was the lowest invoice from the area where he resides. A period of time has passed since this incident. Please inform us, may Allah reward you with good and guide your steps and benefit the Muslims with you.
A: If the matter is as you described, and a settlement was reached between you and the owner of the other car for him to pay you two thousand riyals for the repair, then you owe nothing for what you took from him. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: I was involved in a car accident some time ago. I was driving on my correct path when suddenly the driver of another car cut in front of us and collided with us, causing damage to my car. When we went to the traffic department, the fault was placed on the other driver. We reached an agreement at the traffic department that he would repair my car, since the fault was his. We went to the repair shops in that area and took representatives from three shops, with three people from each shop. We went to the car, which was at the traffic department, and each representative gave an invoice for the cost of the repair at his shop. I agreed to the lowest of the three invoices, which was two thousand riyals. Since I am not from the area where the accident occurred, I took the money to my area to have it repaired there, which is fifty kilometers from the area where the accident happened. Before I took the money from him, a soldier came to us and said, "Why don't you go to another shop that might be cheaper than this amount?" I said, "I have no objection, and if the amount exceeds the sum we agreed upon, you will pay the difference." He said, "I have already agreed to the first amount, and I do not want to go to other shops." I took the money and the car to my area and had the car repaired at one of the shops for 1000 riyals. At that time, I was in
need of the remaining 1000 riyals, so I spent it on my need. Is it obligatory for me to return the 1000 riyals, or do I keep it? He agreed to the amount based on the invoices from the shop owners, which was the lowest invoice from the area where he resides. A period of time has passed since this incident. Please inform us, may Allah reward you with good and guide your steps and benefit the Muslims with you.
A: If the matter is as you described, and a settlement was reached between you and the owner of the other car for him to pay you two thousand riyals for the repair, then you owe nothing for what you took from him. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.