Woman sues ex-boyfriend for failing to take her to airport
A woman known as CL took her ex-boyfriend, HG, to court for not driving her to the airport as promised. As a result, she ended up missing her flight. This case was heard by the New Zealand Disputes Tribunal, which deals with small claims.
Details of the Case
CL alleged that she and HG had a verbal agreement where he would drop her off at the airport, stay at her home, and care for her two dogs during her absence. She messaged HG the day before her flight, asking him to pick her up between 10:00 and 10:15 AM. When HG did not show up, CL missed her flight and had to book an alternative one the next day. She sought compensation for the new flight, a shuttle service to the airport, and the cost of boarding her dogs in a kennel.
Additionally, CL wanted HG to reimburse her for a ferry ticket she had bought for him as part of a planned holiday in December 2023.
The Ruling
The tribunal had to determine if HG’s promise constituted a legally binding contract. The Tribunal referee stated that for an agreement to be enforceable, there must be an intention to create a legally binding relationship. However, that was not evident in this case. As a result, the tribunal concluded that the nature of the promises exchanged was typical of “normal give and take in an intimate relationship.”
Since there was no intention for HG to be legally bound by his promises. So, the tribunal dismissed CL’s claims. The ruling highlighted that social arrangements between friends, partners, and colleagues often do not carry legal enforceability unless explicitly intended to create binding obligations.
HG did not attend the tribunal hearing and did not respond to a follow-up phone call from the referee.
Source: Sky News
