Verbal agreement to contribute to holiday

[emkana]

When my daughter was with her boyfriend we said he could come on holiday with us. He verbally agreed to contribute a percentage of the cost, and the full amount in case of separation.
He has now split up with her but is not willing to pay. Is there any legal
obligation on him?

So youre still going on the trip??
And you want him to cover the entire cost of your holiday that you are going on, that hes not??
Or the trip is cancelled altogether?

Ey? Of course I don't want him to pay for the entire trip! Just his share!

I'd be dropping it for my daughters sake. If he paid, he would be entitled to go on the holiday. That would make it a horrible/miserable trip for all. I'm sure she would prefer if he didn't go.

Why on earth would he go!? He has a new girlfriend. Why would he share a room with his ex??

Maybe he'll chip in a bit extra and bring the girlfriend.

You're all just being ridiculous, honestly

Why would he not go if he paid for it. He could do it to spite you for forcing him to pay. You dont know for sure that he wouldn't and you did say earlier you would have no problem with him going.

Honestly if he'd want to go to a family all inclusive resort to stay in a room with his ex and to see his ex's parents and siblings every day at all times, then fair play to him.

I really do think it's more unhinged to think he'd come on this holiday.
He was due to share a room with my dd - where do you think he'd put a new girlfriend?

On the question of whether to go to small claims I keep changing my mind. I do think, in spite of the impression some seem to get of me here, that I could put a reasonable case together. But I know the chances to win would be small.

I've said this before but it will cost you nothing to fill in the form (simple factual not emotional or exaggerated and show costs and interest), and send the debtor a copy, giving them a bit of time to pay before you register the claim. Court fees vary depending on the size of debt but its not eye-watering. There's every chance they'll pay it. I wouldn't want my DC to risk a CCJ over this, but I'd make him honour his promise anyway.

Posters saying chalk it up to experience, really? You'd timidly defer to this other family and burn £1000 of your own money rather than risk 'making a fuss'?

He was due to share a room with my dd - where do you think he'd put a new girlfriend?

If he hadn't been invited how much money would you have 'saved'. Often the cost for a room for single occupancy is the same for double occupancy? I know the flights would cost more but I'm wondering about the room.

You'd timidly defer to this other family and burn £1000 of your own money rather than risk 'making a fuss'?

I’d consider it the price of my own idiocy by forking out for someone else’s holiday without getting payment.

I know plenty of young men who would definitely still go if forced to pay, they'd book a separate seat on the plane and get a cheap room when they got there, being particularly awkward in which case they'd stay in the room with their ex. They might even pay for his new gf to go too if planning on a different room.

Your DD would spend the week avoiding him.

Think hard about what consequences you might end up with.

Where is the holiday too? Is it likely he could get alternative accommodation in the resort?

Stupid tax. You were stupid not to get the money first.

If he pays he might well decide to come. Is that what you want?

Yeah, and if I was forced to pay I’d 100% go.

I’d consider it the price of my own idiocy by forking out for someone else’s holiday without getting payment

This. There’s nothing timid about it- if you’ve got no proof it would be stupid to think you can win. If OP doesnt win she might have to pay his costs too (I’ve been to small claims, won, and judge asked us if we wanted to counter claim for costs). This has nothing to do with timidity and everything to do with being smart about your likelihood of winning. If she’d had it all in writing I would absolutely be saying go for it. But she doesn’t.

Yeah, and if I was forced to pay I’d 100% go

I would too. And I’d pay for my new partner to go aswell. Some people really are just that petty

Have you tried asking the holiday company if, (even for an admin fee), you can amended name.

Maybe a friend of your DD can go instead? It not going to cost hotel anything to have a different person in the room, it's only the flight details that will have to change.

I know you said your DS needs to be considered, but he will know and be familiar with some of your DD's friends.

I think it's worth exploring that option and concentrate on recouping the money rather than making him "pay"

Just pay the admin fee to transfer whatever part you can to a female friend of DD that wants to come, or a cousin or something and move on. There is no way all £1400 isnt transferable. Flights always are, with an admin charge. If your son can cope with staying in a large all-inclusive resort with lots of people surely he can cope with a friend of your daughter's coming or a cousin, with some preparation?

If I was you I'd just pay for the whole holiday myself and try and have a nice family holiday, canceling any bits that can be cancelled to minimise the £1400 - which is his share of a holiday for 5 people right? So you are paying 4 x £1400? I don't see how another £1000 or so makes much difference if you can afford that in the first place to not ruin everyone's holiday. That's what I'd do, I wouldn't go to small claims court to try and get money out of a 19y old. I cant see a judge being sympathetic to that (family member is a judge, they are very moral), especially since much of your case seems to be wrapped up in him dumping your daughter and what you think his parents earn (so weird, how do you know what their monthly income is? Because of what the son told you? Not sure that's likely to be accurate is it?)

I know because he told us and because they are the kind of jobs where it's very easy to google what income is attached to these kind of jobs.

It's just so incredibly odd to say to your daughter's boyfriend - whose relationship is apparently stable enough to be planning to take him on holiday with you - 'but if you split up, we'll be expecting the full amount, understood?' If this were my son, I wouldn't be wanting to hand the money over either, tbh, no matter how much I earned.

Even if by some chance they did rule in your favour at small claims court. He's 19, an adult, with no income. He will plead poverty (parent's income irrelevant) and they will make him agree to pay you £20 a month for the next 70 months or something similar. Do you really want this dragging on for the next 5 years?