Security Firm Must Pay Couple NIS 18,000 for Guard's Vandalism

A Haifa Small Claims Court has ordered Ben Beton Security to pay NIS 18,000 to Yeniv and Meirav Peretz for damages caused to their car by one of the company's security guards. The court, presided over by Senior Registrar Milad Talhami, dismissed the claim against the Zichron Yaakov Council, ruling that the council's third-party claim against Ben Beton Security was valid.

The Peretz couple, evacuated from their home in Kiryat Shmona due to the war, were renting an apartment in Zichron Yaakov. In May 2025, Meirav Peretz parked her two-month-old car in the local "Park HaMoshava." A security guard named Ziv allegedly approached her and engaged in a "threatening and dismissive" conversation about her parking. Later that day, Peretz discovered significant damage to the two right doors of her vehicle. Security footage from a nearby car's dashcam reportedly showed the guard causing the damage.

Ben Beton Security denied its guard's involvement, arguing that the damage assessment was conducted three weeks after the incident, thus failing to establish a causal link. The company also did not call the guard as a witness, nor did it present a counter-assessment or cross-examine the plaintiff's appraiser. Registrar Talhami noted that an employer has a duty to supervise its employees and that the company's failure to provide the guard's full name or disclose any internal investigation raised questions about its conduct.

Talhami ruled that the Peretz couple had proven the damages, which were deemed reasonable for a new vehicle. He dismissed the claim against the Zichron Yaakov Council, stating that vicarious liability had not been proven. However, he found Ben Beton Security liable for the intentional damage caused by its employee, emphasizing the employer's responsibility for employee selection, training, and supervision. The company was also ordered to pay NIS 2,000 in legal expenses.