Q: My bike was sitting with a flat tire for a few weeks. A neighbor’s son patched the hole, and asked that I pay, but I was planning to fix it myself during vacation. Must I pay?
A: Rama (C.M. 264:4) rules that if a person was imprisoned, and someone toiled and expended money to free him, he must pay for his benefit, even though he could have forced his way out and escaped. Nesivos (264:10) explains that this is evaluated as the worth of not having to use force.
This applies to other services or enhancements that most people are interested in to save effort (Minchas Pittim, Shiyarei Haminchah 375:7).
However, if the enhancement was not according to the owner’s wants, e.g., he patched the hole whereas you want to replace the inner tube, you do not have to pay (unless you afterwards indicate interest in the repair) and can tell him to remove his enhancement (Baal Hama’or Bava Metzia 101a; Sma 375:4).
