Question

Hello Rabbi,
We flew abroad for a month and left a couple of friends “to watch the house.” They saved on rent that way, and in return they were supposed to take care of the dog (including expenses for walks and the like) and water the houseplants. In addition, we gained a certain amount of protection from burglars. It turns out they forgot to water one of the plants and it died. We asked them on the phone whether they were watering, and they said yes.
A general quarrel broke out between us, and I want to be exacting with them down to the last penny. Are they obligated to pay for the dead plant?