Carly Peddle wrote and left a note which read “I dinged your back passenger door / happy to pay for!” after accidentally denting Richard Brooks’ car door following an event they both attended.

A tribunal in British Columbia, Canada heard that the cost of repairs amounted to $1,731.91 CAD (around €1,080 or £930).

Mr Brooks paid $500 of the total to an auto body repair shop and the remainder of the cost was paid by his insurer.

Ms Peddle repaid $1,231.91 to the insurance company but refused to pay the remaining $500 to Mr Brooks.

“I infer that the respondent argues that she did not agree to pay for repairs if the applicant filed a claim with [the insurer],” the tribunal member said.

However, the tribunal held that the note left on the car was an offer by Ms Peddle to pay the repair costs, which had been accepted by Mr Brooks.

This meant they “had reached a settlement agreement, which was a binding contract that the respondent could not later amend without agreement from the applicant”.

Ms Peddle was ordered to pay a total of $659.35 CAD (around €410 or £350) in damages, interest and tribunal fees.