Update--- ID and I spoke at length about this very issue last night. We did a budget assessment and are even farther out there than I realized. So, this is his view, that if the table was a cherished heirloom or a valuable antique of any provenance, or "even if it was just really nice looking" he would love it upholstered in the tartan. At $120 per yard shipped cost to me, with extra for rails because of the repeat (and we are pretty sure the pool table guy has never heard or dealt with a repeat), the fabric alone would cost around $800. He said he would rather have that money back in the pot for accessories, especially if someday in the not too distant future that table will end up for sale for $150 at the Christian Women's Center thrift shop. He's right, This is a CL Bailey oak table and I guess the tartan would be the teensiest bit over the top :-( But still....hmph!

You probably don’t need a steel frame. It should only be required if there is a concern about the load on the joist, so maybe if the hood sets under a bathtub or something. Quartzite is just not that heavy, it only seems heavy because it is rather thin. 2cm thick quartzite is about 12 lbs per square foot, which is really nothing significant. A wall cabinet with a typical load of plates and bowls will easily be more than that much and these days that is 1/2” plywood held to the wall with two to four #10 cabinet screws. A 36” stone hood in a room with 9’ ceilings is going to be about 312 lbs of stone… The shear rating of one 3/8” bolt is more than double that and I assure you, more than one will be used. The only real complication is the attachment of the frame to the joists or studs and that is going to require bolts in shear.

Asking for rental agreements, birth certificates and lunch menus is all well and good but I'm highly doubtful they're going to send this to you just because you request it, unless you use a subpoena. I personally would be very annoyed with a company sending out *my* contracts to every Tom, Dick and Harriet who requests it because they don't want to pay a bill, whether the bill is valid or not. AFAIC that's private data between the company and me and giving that out could be a potential violation of data privacy. I'm not sure they can give it out like that. The big question is how much time, effort and money will you spend on this? I'd definitely be looking at the paperwork, who signed it, who checked it in and the like. You could subpoena the the person checking it in to testify or at least get a deposition and/or affidavit about it. Likely they won't remember much, especially if they want to keep their job, if they're still employed there. Trying to track them down if they're gone, well that might not be easy or cheap either. Did you agree to arbitration for dispute resolution? What state's laws control the contract? This can make a difference too if you want to go that far. Fine print usually has a number of quirks in it. If you live in Texas and agreed that Delaware's laws will apply, that can be another monkey wrench tossed in. I do think you're doing the right thing to take the position that they haven't proven anything to you. (They who assert must prove.) Have they sent any estimate from a repair shop or is it just their standard claim amount? $500 isn't much damage. Scratches, small dent or two will hit $500 these days. I'd be going above the person sending this. I'd also go back to the person who initially agreed to drop it. Did you document time, date, etc and did they put it in writing that they'd drop it? I'd look over the contract too and see if there's any time-frame that could help you. How long do they have to make a claim and such. I certainly wouldn't go off saying you're representing yourself or anything like that since that's redundant. Obviously you're representing yourself. I highly doubt they'll take you to conciliation court. It's not worth it to them either. They'll probably just badger you, try screwing with your credit and the like and of course the dunning letters to get you to give in. You actually have some proof in your favor right now. They supplied you with a photo that apparently shows no damage. I'd use that to my benefit too, send it to the hierarchy and say this is proof that the vehicle wasn't damaged by you. Or save it for the credit agencies and collection agents. two.25acres raised good points. Comp claims won't normally count against you and *if* you're satisfied that the damage occurred while in your possession, since in reality a rock could have flown off a truck or something, it wouldn't be too big a deal and insurance companies like to split the difference a lot so they'd likely settle for a couple hundred. This is something you could negotiate too. You could offer them $100 to resolve it, with no admission of liability and to resolve it too, but I'd be sure to make it clear that this is just offered as a resolution and that you're fully satisfied that you're not liable, will be proven as such in court, etc. Let's face it, involving a lawyer is not a financially prudent thing to do. You'll pay far more than $500 to use an attorney and may well still be found liable. You won't get even an inexperienced lawyer for $500 since this will involve far more than an hour or two and that's what they bank on when they do this stuff. If you have a check-in statement with an inspection or release and coupled with the pictures you have, you could be in good shape. If you don't, you might be in trouble. Not right, but the way things go. But again, I'd go back to the one with whom you had the agreement and work that end first. Good luck.

I found the "Blue Paradise" phlox online through Lazy SS's Farm here in VA. Can't wait for it to cool off a bit so I can get it ordered and in the ground. They have so many varieties of everything, and in the past have sent gorgeous plants. A bit pricey, but well worth it! My Heliopsis and good 'ole Alma Potsche have exceeded my expectations. Three Nurseries down here told me that 'Alma' would get mildewed, so they didn't carry it, but that isn't the case at all. She has already had Round 1 of blossoms, those were cut off, and there are more coming on now. Strange but welcome behavior. The Heliopsis is over 8' tall after 3 years and the bees and butterflies are having a field day now that it's started to blossom.