Should Jilted Brides be Awarded Financially?

[delp]

HALL COUNTY, Ga. -- The jury has awarded a Hall County woman $150,000 after she sued her former fiance for calling their wedding off.

RoseMary Shell sued her ex-fiance, Wayne Gibbs, after he broke off their engagement in 2007.

Shell argued her fiance's promise of marital bliss amounted to a binding contract. She said she left a high-paying job in Florida to be with Gibbs and she said she has suffered financial losses since their break-up. She also said she has suffered emotionally.

Gibbs testified that he had taken Shell on trips and paid $30,000 of her debt while they were engaged. He said when he found out she had even more debt, he canceled the wedding by leaving Shell a note in their bathroom.

Closing arguments were heard Wednesday morning and the jury awarded Shell $150,000 by Wednesday afternoon.

"People shouldn't be allowed to do that and hopefully he'll think twice before he does it to someone else," said Shell.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/16966088/detail.html

 

[Syrah]

An engagement is not a promise to marry, but an agreement to do so.

"But MsNadi, what's the difference?" "Promise' implies that it is legally binding, and therefore eligible for financial compensation. An engagement is not that.

Now granted, if you went through the process of planning a wedding and putting certain non-refundable deposits on things, and HE calls off the wedding, he or his family should attempt to make some arrangement for those deposits on any purchases for THEIR wedding.

But straight up financial "i'm-sorry-you-had-to-go-through-this" money? No way.

ETA: If I were him, I'd appeal that decision in a heartbeat. AND the fact that he broke it off with a note in the bathroom and she sued him for "emotional hardship" shows me that this wedding was probably $&#@ed from the get-go.

 

[bermudabeauty]

Dang that is a woman scorned for real. However, I'm not mad at her. She left her job? Moved? shelled out oddles and oodles of money and he had the NERVE TO BREAK UP WITH HER WITH A POST IT NOTE IN THE BATHROOM! All HELLLLLL Nauh! She got her paper back. I bet there were alot of women on that jury.

 

[dlewis]

Thats really sad. People will sue over anything.

 

[KEWLKAT103]

An engagement is not a promise to marry, but an agreement to do so.

"But MsNadi, what's the difference?" "Promise' implies that it is legally binding, and therefore eligible for financial compensation. An engagement is not that.

Now granted, if you went through the process of planning a wedding and putting certain non-refundable deposits on things, and HE calls off the wedding, he or his family should attempt to make some arrangement for those deposits on any purchases for THEIR wedding.

But straight up financial "i'm-sorry-you-had-to-go-through-this" money? No way.

ETA: If I were him, I'd appeal that decision in a heartbeat. AND the fact that he broke it off with a note in the bathroom and she sued him for "emotional hardship" shows me that this wedding was probably $&#@ed from the get-go.

I agree with this. In some cases I do beleive that the jilted person should be reimbursed the money they lost during planning.

 

[Keen]

I agree with this. In some cases I do beleive that the jilted person should be reimbursed the money they lost during planning.

Yes, they should be reimbursed for cost. I can understand about her getting compensated for leaving her job but emotional hardship? That's what break ups are all about!

 

[ThatJerseyGirl]

As mentioned, my answer to the thread question is YES. It was a verbal agreement. "Will you marry me" and her obvious answer was "Yes." Both parties agreed.

I bet he won't do that no more....

Just like if (i know this off the thread...) a woman is married, and her husband cheats, and the woman finds out and suffers mental anguish, embarrassment, harassment from the woman, family is broken apart, children have suffered, alientation of affection, etc., she can sue the woman whom her husband had the affair with. Most state laws vary, but in the State of North Carolina, this holds true.

Yup...people will litigate in a minute!

 

[Farida]

An engagement is a conditional agreement, not a binding contract. That's why when a man gives you a ring and you call it off, he gets it back, because his ring was conditional on the terms that she agrees and keeps the agreement to marry her.

Now marriage is a binding contract.

So, apart from money going into the wedding, now that should be reimbursed.

Don't quit and move and give up your life before you sign the papers.

 

[drasgrl]

Nope they shouldn't get any money.

 

[frizzy]

You said it all Vivmaiko!!

 

[Syrah]

Yes, they should be reimbursed for cost. I can understand about her getting compensated for leaving her job but emotional hardship? That's what break ups are all about!

Why? She CHOSE to leave her job? That is in way an effect of engagements, but more a choice she made based on her status as an engaged woman. If she chose to sell her house after she got engaged, should he have to find her a new one?!

...I have a problem with compensating people for INDIVIDUAL decisions.

 

[pisceschica]

Only if they lost money that they deposited from items related to a wedding like reception location, flowers, catering, etc. In any other case no.

 

[Ms.Honey]

Yes, at the very least he should have to give her half of what she spent. This is not the first case of this. I believe it's filed as Breach of Contract. Poor thing he should have done the credit check before proposing. Oh well

 

[SilentRuby]

An engagement is a conditional agreement, not a binding contract. That's why when a man gives you a ring and you call it off, he gets it back, because his ring was conditional on the terms that she agrees and keeps the agreement to marry her.

Now marriage is a binding contract.

So, apart from money going into the wedding, now that should be reimbursed.

Don't quit and move and give up your life before you sign the papers.

We have a winner

 

[tmichelle]

Don't leave a job until you get that license! She did that of her own choice. She was not bound to him. Any money awarded should only be for wedding expenses she/her family doled out.

 

[tmichelle]

An engagement is a conditional agreement, not a binding contract. That's why when a man gives you a ring and you call it off, he gets it back, because his ring was conditional on the terms that she agrees and keeps the agreement to marry her.

Now marriage is a binding contract.

So, apart from money going into the wedding, now that should be reimbursed.

Don't quit and move and give up your life before you sign the papers.

ITA

This reminds me of an aquaintance of my sister's. Her so. died during 911. She didn't get any of the money widows were getting and she was upset b/c they had been together for awhile. If people are serious about someone and protecting them if they should die then they get married, other than that, before marriage there is no protection.

 

[explosiva9]

Ok- now I didn't read the attached clip that may answer some questions that I am about to ask but how close were they to the wedding date? How much money had already been invested in said wedding? The cost of moving? How long was she living with him and how much had she invested in the household before he left her on a post it note? There are just so many things to consider. The truth is, when we women fall, we fall hard and believe everything that comes out of his face. He left her because of debt she had and guess what, now he just prob paid off all her debt because he was too stupid to learn what her situation was before proposing, before bringing her up to his house. He didn't do the work and now he is paying the price. She obviously is not a stupid woman cause she won. He was a stupid man and in the end, got what he deserved for not only being stupid, but for not having the decency to be a man and talk to her face to face.

Just my opinion

 

[Cinda2503]

Yes, break-ups are hard emotionally but aside from money spent for the wedding she should have gotten nothing. Nobody told her to quit her job in Florida. Weddings can be planned from all over the world....no need to quit, leave, and/or move to do so. That was her choice. Ladies, youmust save yourself first at all times. You must always have a Plan B. As a matter of fact that's what my savings account is called: Plan B.

 

[Ladyhenri]

Should Jilted Grooms be Awarded Financially?

 

[Ladyhenri]

Should Jilted Grooms be Awarded Financially?

Damn, I'm just doing the Nigerian thing of answering a question with a question...any who, as above, my answer would be NO.

 

[MzLady78]

Shoot, they giving out money for getting your heart broken? Let me go find a lawyer.......

J/K.

This is ridiculous and I can't believe she actually won. It's messed up, but in love, you take chances. Sometimes it works out in your favor, sometimes it doesn't.

 

[Determined22]

I heard on the news that she took a $50K paycut when she moved from FL to GA to be with him. That's a helluva paycut, and I doubt she would have done that if they weren't engaged.

I don't think every jilted bride should be able to to sue, but in this case, I think it was warranted.

 

[DragonPearl]

I think they can be awarded for any financial cost they occurred while planning for the wedding. But for not emotional distress. Married people can't sue for emotional distress if their spouses decides to terminate the marriage, why should engaged people be allowed to do that? And single folks who break up all the time should be also entitled to emotional distress too. So, nope.

 

[Mortons]

I voted yes a promise to marry is indeed a contract. Not sure how I feel about the money situation here though.