By Sam Smith
A woman took her boyfriend to New Zealand’s Disputes Tribunal after he failed to take her to the airport, causing her to miss a flight to a concert she had planned to attend.
The woman involved had arranged to be picked up by the man, who she was in a relationship with, but he never arrived to collect her.
The woman lodged a claim with the tribunal, which said that, in her view, the agreement for a ride to the airport constituted a legally binding agreement.Credit: AP
As a result, she missed her flight and had to travel the following day.
It was also arranged that he was to stay at her house while she was away and look after her dogs, which he did not do.
The details of the case were released on Thursday, with the names of the couple redacted.
The woman lodged a claim with the tribunal, which said that, in her view, the agreement for a ride to the airport constituted a legally binding agreement.
She said she incurred costs to travel the following day, the cost of a shuttle to the airport and the cost to put her dogs into a kennel.
The woman said she ended up paying for the fare and claimed the man would reimburse her.
She added the man, whom she had been in a relationship with for over six years, entered into a verbal contract with her that he would take her to the airport and stay in her house while she was away.
Tribunal referee Krysia Cowi said in a statement, “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,” she said.
Ultimately, Cowie decided that although a promise was made, it fell short of being a contract, with the promises exchanged as a normal give and take in a relationship.
As a result, Cowie dismissed the women’s claims.
The couple have now separated.
Stuff.co.nz
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