In a horrific blow to the seriousness of the judicial system, a woman in New Zealand has taken her boyfriend to court after alleging that he failed to perform the classic boyfriend task of dropping her off at the airport. Talk about airing your dirty laundry in public. YIKES.
New Zealand’s Disputes Tribunal heard that the couple, who had been together for six and a half years, had allegedly entered into a “verbal contract” stipulating the drop-off deets.
The Tribunal, commonly known as the Small Claims Court, deals with disputes up to NZD $30,000.
The girlfriend alleged that she was en route to a concert and presumed that her partner would house sit and take care of her dogs for two days.
She ended up missing the plane and had to pay the costs of booking a new flight, a shuttle to the airport and putting her dogs in a kennel.
The tribunal was tasked with determining whether the “verbal contract” made between the parties was legally binding.
Below is an excerpt from the case’s court document:
“For an agreement to be enforceable there needs to be an intention to create a legally binding relationship.
“Partners, friends and colleagues make social arrangements, but it is unlikely they can be legally enforced unless the parties perform some act that demonstrates an intention that they will be bound by their promises.
“When friends fail to keep their promises, the other person may suffer a financial consequence but it may be that they cannot be compensated for that loss.“
See, isn’t it fun to put your Elle Woods hat on every now and then?
In the end, the case was dismissed by the tribunal referee Krysia Cowie.
The girlfriend may not have legally won the case, but she has definitely won the title of 2024’s “pettiest court case”.
Header image via Chris Ryan on iStock.
