Mother invoices boys parents for party no show

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-30876360

Analysis: Clive Coleman, BBC legal correspondent
It is all but impossible that Ms Lawrence will be able to recover the £15.95 party "no show fee".

Any claim would be on the basis that a contract had been created, which included a term that a "no show" fee would be charged.

However, for there to be a contract, there needs to be an intention to create legal relations. A child's party invitation would not create legal relations with either the child "guest" or its parents.

If it is being argued that the contract is with the child, it is inconceivable that a five-year-old would be seen by a court as capable of creating legal relations and entering into a contract with a "no show" charge.

It's amusing to imagine what a children's party invitation seeking to create a contract might say: "I, the 'first party', hereinafter referred to as the 'birthday boy', cordially invite you the 'second party', hereinafter referred to as 'my best friend', to the party of 'the first party'.
 
what a sad story:

1. Dad should have apologized ..... he double booked his kid.

2. Sending someone a bill is tacky.....just delete that family from future invites.

3. Double tacky -- that this ends up being an item at all.

all MOO
 
He RSVP'd then didn't go and didn't bother calling? Pay the money, god it's not like they asked a fortune right? Can't work out why this got this far.
 
He RSVP'd then didn't go and didn't bother calling? Pay the money, god it's not like they asked a fortune right? Can't work out why this got this far.


bbm: yep......he confronted the woman when he was angry instead of manning up and admitting he messed up MOO
 
Even if they did no show, the mother of the birthday kid was tackier by sending a bill. :croc:Suck it up and put up the expense! Maybe the attendees really couldn't afford it. Nobody asked her to throw the kid an expensive party!
 
Even if they did no show, the mother of the birthday kid was tackier by sending a bill. :croc:Suck it up and put up the expense! Maybe the attendees really couldn't afford it. Nobody asked her to throw the kid an expensive party!

yep....and we forget that there are two little kids with hurt feelings and a whole mess of embarrassment over this fracus....poor kids....
 
I think both sides have showed bad form, all of this should have been worked out over the phone, the father should have called to apologise when he realised his son couldn't make it, and the payment issue would have likely been dealt with then too, god I'd probably just say not to worry about it myself, but if the mother was that upset I'm sure the dad could have swung her the money to keep the peace. If the father had called another child could have been invited last minute to take his sons spot and they'd have been no hard feelings.
 
It is TACKY to expect the guests to pay. When I took kids to see a Disney movie when my kid was turning 6, WE PAID for the tickets and a popcorn. I didnt expect them to pay. When we took them to BuildABear, we paid for a basic bear. If they wanted more then 2 extras, it was on them.

But you don't throw a kids Bday party and expect the guests to pay.
 
I thought the invited boy's family was only paying because they didn't show up, is that right, or were all guests supposed to pay?? Yep, that is tacky, that's like being asked to pay when you RSVP for a wedding or similar. Or worse, when you arrive at the reception :)
 
It is TACKY to expect the guests to pay. When I took kids to see a Disney movie when my kid was turning 6, WE PAID for the tickets and a popcorn. I didnt expect them to pay. When we took them to BuildABear, we paid for a basic bear. If they wanted more then 2 extras, it was on them.

But you don't throw a kids Bday party and expect the guests to pay.

Am just '''guessing here''' that mom wouldn't have reserved a spot IF she knew invitee couldn't attend.

If her budget was that ''tight'' - maybe she was miffed. (like others here perhaps something lower key and down to earth may have been better choice - kids are only 5 yrs old LOL) No guests of ours ever paid!

Kids being kids, would she have been outraged if invitee could not attend due something like let's say measles or chicken pox MOO.

Am sad to see, that folks can't pick up the phone and say '' can't make it at last minute'' ((birthday boy was probably wondering what happened to buddy)).

Am further sad to see that grownups cannot diplomatically pick up the phone to resolve issues without losing tempers.

All MOO
 
I thought the invited boy's family was only paying because they didn't show up, is that right, or were all guests supposed to pay?? Yep, that is tacky, that's like being asked to pay when you RSVP for a wedding or similar. Or worse, when you arrive at the reception :)

Am just '''guessing here''' that mom wouldn't have reserved a spot IF she knew invitee couldn't attend.

If her budget was that ''tight'' - maybe she was miffed. (like others here perhaps something lower key and down to earth may have been better choice - kids are only 5 yrs old LOL) No guests of ours ever paid!

Kids being kids, would she have been outraged if invitee could not attend due something like let's say measles or chicken pox MOO.

Am sad to see, that folks can't pick up the phone and say '' can't make it at last minute'' ((birthday boy was probably wondering what happened to buddy)).

Am further sad to see that grownups cannot diplomatically pick up the phone to resolve issues without losing tempers.

All MOO

All true, but either way, it's tacky to send an invoice. Imo, when you throw an event you have to include a few 'mistakes' into the budget. you are always going to have a couple of extra gift bags, just in case. There are always going to be last minute no shows and last minute extra guests tagging along. That should be included in the cost of throwing a party. Sending an invoice was ridiculous.

It would have made more sense, if she was miffed and wanted to vent, to call them or pull them aside after school, and complain that they didn't call,and it cost her a few bucks. Fine. But an itemized bill was just petty and over the top.

Plus the hostess should have had some kind of flexible agreement with the party venue about what to do if there are a couple less guests. If that kid did not attend, why was he even charged? It is not like it was a sit down formal wedding dinner.
 
So, the letter was found in son's bookbag and sent by the party host...wth..
Since when is a kid's bookbag an official mail receptacle! Geeeesh. Party host Mom is nuts and cheap IMO.
 
Also she is a coward, she got her child (or maybe the teacher) to give the other child an invoice, she should do her own dirty work and she should have handed it to the father herself. Having the invoice slid into the boys backpack without explanation was just piling bad manners on top of more bad manners.
 
Plus, the party mom is arguing with the wrong people. Why did the party venue charge her 15 pounds for a sack lunch? I cannot see what other costs they were out by the kid not showing up. They were ripping off party mom and she is taking it out on the other family. lol
 
I've used the backpacks to deliver the invitations and thank you notes in elementary school, but that was to spare the feelings of those who weren't invited. Different reasons for the sneakiness.
 
Gee, I didn't realize we could bill for party no shows. There are a few people who didn't actually make my wedding...I didn't realize I could invoice them for their per head cost to my parents!

Or, how about we be gracious and realize that sometimes life happens and we absorb the inevitable cost of that. Besides that, how many of us can honestly say we've NEVER missed an event at the last minute that we did commit to attending?

Shaking my head at this whole thing...
 
yep....and we forget that there are two little kids with hurt feelings and a whole mess of embarrassment over this fracus....poor kids....

That's my concern too, the little kids wouldn't understand what the fuss is about.

It's one of those classic situations where a good old fashion saying fits, 2 wrongs don't make a right. :p
 
Don't fight with the parents of your kid's friends.
 
Do you know what, the mother should have paid the money for the missed birthday (assuming she was paying for all the kids) and the father should have taken both boys to a roller skating rink or some other fun activity to make up for his son missing the day (and footed the bill), that way both boys stay friends and both parents end up paying similar amounts for fun activities, and happy faces all round.
 

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