Overview

• In September 2023, lawyer Carly Peddle dented fellow lawyer Richard Brooks’ door at a Vancouver event and left a handwritten note offering to pay for repairs.
• Brooks filed a claim with the Insurance Corporation of B.C. for the $1,731 repair bill and then asked Peddle to cover his $500 deductible.
• Peddle maintained that her note did not bind her to pay the deductible if Brooks used insurance to settle the damage.
• On June 6, the Civil Resolution Tribunal ruled the note was a binding settlement agreement and granted Brooks interest on the deductible plus a $125 tribunal fee.
• The ruling underscores that informal at-scene agreements can carry legal weight under British Columbia contract law.