Scenario Number 12
Fiona attends a dance at the local community centre and hangs her coat in the hall. There is no cloakroom attendant and a notice on the wall states that the organisers do not accept responsibility for coats. Later Fiona finds that her coat is missing. She feels the notice is meaningless and that she should claim compensation.
Is she right?
Answer
Unfortunately Fiona has no right to claim compensation for her lost coat. It would have been different if she had paid a cloakroom attendant to look after her coat. In this case she would have made a contract and if the coat was lost, it could be argued that it was due to the negligence of the attendant. Fiona left the coat unattended, at her own risk, hence the loss is her own fault and responsibility.