Cousin Coerced Into Marriage Advice Needed

[TheCoralMoose]

My cousin who is 37 met someone 11 months ago.

He is much older but not as old as he said he was at first.

She never intended to marry him just go on dates and she decided not to let him move in her apartment which she owns. He had a house which he owned since learned he gave it to his daughter just after meeting my cousin.

He said he was 45 he is actually 61.

Him and my cousin had a 5 day break booked for las vegas just before she decided she no longer wanted him.
She went ahead with the vegas break because he paid a lot of money for it.

On the day before they were due to fly back she doesnt know if she was spiked or given too much alcohol but he took her very intoxicated to a chapel and they get wed.

On returning home she told him its still over then he shown her the marriage certificate.

She called her mum and dad and they came round told him to get out he said fuck off its my place as much as hers and threatened them.

What can be done?. No its not a joke thread its deadly serious.

He has said because he is older and now his daughter has his house his housing needs will be more than hers because she is younger than him.

Is this something the police will get involved in.

It might well be bollocks that he did actually give it away. I don't know for sure of course, but it just has that sort of feel about it somehow. He's trying to scam his way in and get his "wife's" place for next to nothing.

If she was incapacitated it is not legal and binding. She can get an annulment.

You need to get a marriage licence from the Clark County Marriage Bureau to be legally married in Las Vegas,

Yes I agree.

I was thinking if he had been living with her then it would have perhaps made the trip to Vegas even more suspect.

Hopefully though for such a short marriage he would have no claim & even if he had given his house away that's just tough!

Depends which country she lives in.

Did she get a marriage licence before hand? They wouldn’t normally give this to someone visibly intoxicated and without this the marriage would be invalid.

Also you don’t normally get your certificate for weeks after the wedding, so this is all sounding a bit fishy.

What the fuck have I just read???

Although I suspect he hasn't given his house away (he's trying to scam OP's cousin out of her apartment in addition), I almost hope that he actually has. Then he would hopefully end up with nowhere to live. Karma and all of that!

We got our certificate on the day, but like others had to go to the Clark County office to get a license at least 24 hours before. With photo ID and in person.

She could call the Clark County Marriage bureau and tell them she fears she has been drugged and scammed. They may be able to tell her whether a licence was issued and if her marriage is legal
www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/elected_officials/county_clerk/location-and-hours

If it was a vegas wedding is it legal and binding.

Not necessarily. My DH and I looked at getting married in the spur of the moment whilst in Vegas. You have to get a marriage license first with all the proper ID then you can go to a wedding chapel. Doesn't sound like they did this.
Secondly most overseas marriages are not recognized in your home country unless/until you submit the paperwork and ratify it with your local council/county. Doesn't sound like they have done this either.

Absolutely police and get her blood checked. I’d also be concerned about him “consummating” the marriage without her consent.

Once police involved I’d be questioning the validity of the marriage, as other said is their a licence?

Just because they are married (if at all valid) dose not give him automatic right to her property.

I don’t think there is any point in complaining to the wedding chapel as it’s Vegas, it’s renown for drunks getting married. I’d be looking into contacting the US police though if your cousin has been spiked and married against her will.

i hope she’s ok.

What ever he says I would have your aunt and uncle get him away from your cousin right away. Don’t let them get pulled into his house and daughter situation, it’s irrelevant to what he’s done to your cousin.

The only other thing standing out to me is (because of what everyone else is saying, it couldn’t have physically happened the way she’s saying/he’s saying it did) could there be a chance he did coerce her into marrying him while drunk, but that she does remember it, and just really (understandably) regrets it so doesn’t want to admit that part? There’s no scenario where she managed to complete the legal stuff, wait 24h, go to the chapel etc but not remember any of it - but equally a fake marriage license just seems a huge stretch too.

Exactly this, I know it’s a different state but I got married in Florida. You had to go to the courthouse a few days before the ceremony with ID to get the licence and on,y then could you schedule the ceremony which had to be with an official registrar.

i would suggest her ceremony is not legal, my friend had one in vegas to celebrate her real wedding 25th anniversary as did Jamie and Jools Oliver recently.

To those saying go to the GP/get blood tests, this is pointless - even if they could get this done and there was a positive result, there is no evidence to prove that she didn’t take the drug voluntarily.

She needs urgent legal advice and also to involve the police if there is an immediate threat to her safety and/or he is harassing her or refusing to leave her house. Domestic abuse charities may also be able to offer her advice and support.

It would be a good idea for her to write down a timeline/notes regarding all relevant events as well while things are fresh in her mind.

Might the airline have any records to show she was ill on the plane

But Police and Solicitors asap

All you need is her first name, surname and the supposed year of marriage and you can instantly check using the link above if it was indeed a legal marriage (mine is there from 2011)

I highly doubt it is. As many others have said, you can’t just rock up and get married like you see in the movies and I also doubt that an officiant would marry someone so incapacitated.

Hopefully this is a huge wake up call for her as to what kind of person he is and she can get rid of him. I would absolutely report this to the police either way, what a shit person he sounds.

I only found out the other day as a relative got married there a few years ago. American records used to be hard to find but seems they've got easier.

A Vegas wedding is legal and binding if they went and got the marriage license. The thing about Vegas is that there is no waiting period for a marriage license, you just rock up to the counter and are handed one immediately. In most places in the U.S., the rules are stricter and there is a waiting period between license and ceremony.

she very likely can get the marriage annulled on the grounds that she was too drunk to consent. She needs to get a solicitor immediately. If he decides to fight the annulment, she may need evidence. The faster she acts, the more chance there will be evidence like security cameras at the chapel or witnesses who actually remember the couple.

worst case scenario, she gets divorced from a very short marriage. A solicitor should be able to help her protect her assets in that situation.

she should definitely not let him in her house or give him any money.

As far as I remember from my divorce, assets are only split 50/50 in a long marriage (i.e. over 5 years). In this situation you should be able to get an annulment or a divorce without a 50/50 split: You always take out of a marriage what you put into it. Only assets generated DURING the marriage are split 50/50. Just get her to kick the guy out.

I was married in Vegas. You have to first go to the formal Courthouse be issued with a Licence, which you then take to the chapel. As far as I am aware, a marriage in just a chapel (without the Licence) is not valid. There might be more info on USA or U.K. government websites?

Oh FFS tell your friend to apply some common sense!

A bloke she has only known for 11 months is claiming they're now married and she has no recollection of the wedding. Of course she should call the police!

And being married doesn't give him the right to move in. She just needs to ask him to leave and call the police. If the police are too busy to attend then get some friends round to make him leave!!

I got married in Los Vegas you have to get a licence from a court house before a chapel will legally marry you. I would be checking the certificate is real.

Cool story.

First thing I'd do is apply for a certified copy of the marriage certificate, or another original whatever works.

Then if it's legal, apply immediately to the LV authorities in charge (via an attorney) for the dissollution of a false marriage by deception or whatever way it can be done.

Is she just sitting there crying or what, where is this prince amongst men at the moment?