# Politics and News > Rants, Opinions, Observations >  Five-year-old who missed his friend's birthday party is INVOICED £15.95

## Coolwalker

*Five-year-old who missed his friend's birthday party is INVOICED £15.95 by the boy's mother... and threatened with court action*
*Alex Nash missed ski slope party and went to see grandparents instead**Weeks later his shocked father Derek found 'no show fee' in school bag**It had been put there after being handed to a teacher by the boy's mother* *Mr Nash, 45, from Torpoint, Cornwall, said: 'I thought it was a joke'**He refused to pay - and 'has been threatened with small claims court'**Plymouth Ski Slope and Snowboard Centre: We didn't write the invoice**Manager said boy's mother could have had credit on the bar instead**But unrepentant mother said: 'All details were on the party invite'*




A five-year-old boy who missed a friend's birthday party has been invoiced £15.95 - by the host's mother.
Alex Nash was handed the bill via a teacher after he visited grandparents instead of showing up at a ski centre in Plymouth, Devon.
Alex's dumbstruck parents found it in his school bag - and their refusal to pay could now lead to a hearing at a small claims court.




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Baffled: Derek Nash took his son Alex to see his grandparents instead of turning up to a friend's birthday party - and was handed an invoice for £15.95. The bill was given to the five-year-old via a teacher



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No show: The parents received this invoice from the mother of the birthday boy - and the ski slope involved said it was nothing to do with them. 'We don't have any such things as no-show fees', said the manager

But the birthday boy's mother - Julie Lawrence, who organised the party with her husband Simon, believed to be a stage rigger - said she had no regrets.
'All details were on the party invite,' she said in a short statement. 'They had every detail needed to contact me.' 
Mr Nash, 45, from nearby Torpoint, Cornwall, said he thought the 'no show fee' slip was a joke when it was found in Alex's school bag on Thursday.


When he discovered it was real, he said he was so angry he refused to pay a penny. 
Mr Nash had confirmed Alex would attend the 'slide and ride' party before Christmas at the Plymouth Ski Slope and Snowboard Centre.
Costing £15.95 a head, it would have included half an hour on a snow tubing run, three toboggan rides, a hot meal, ice cream, jelly and balloons.
But he then realised he had already arranged for their daughter to go on a day trip with her grandparents.


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Defence: The host's mother Julie Lawrence (left with her family) said 'all details were on the party invite'


Furious father: 'She's not getting a penny out of me'







Without a contact number or e-mail address for the friend's mother, he claimed, he had no choice but to withdraw Alex from the party and apologise when school resumed on January 6.
Mr Nash said his partner looked out for the host's mother at Torpoint Nursery and Infant School, but couldn't find her.
Without warning, the bill was found in Alex's bag a week later.
'I have talked to quite a few people about this,' said Mr Nash, a delivery driver. 'They're all quite incredulous that this has happened.
'I thought it was a joke to begin with. I am lost for words.'
He said Alex had chosen of his own accord to spend the day with his grandparents. 
'My partner looked out for [the friend's mother] to apologise for Alex not showing up to the party, but didn't see her,' he said.


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Row: Mr Nash confronted the party host's mother on the doorstep of her Cornwall home (pictured)



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Invoicee: The home where Mr Nash lives with his partner Tanya Walsh and their five-year-old son Alex

'But on January 15 she looked in Alex's school bag and found a brown envelope. It was an invoice for £15.95 for a child's party no show fee.
'I asked Alex's class teacher if [the child's mother] had given anything to her. She said, "Yes, a brown envelope".
'I then visited Alex's school headteacher, who couldn't apologise enough that one of the teachers had passed this on. She said she would remind all staff that this was a breach of protocol.'
Mr Nash confronted the host's mother, who neighbours said was a former police employee. She then threatened to take the case to a small claims court, he added.
He told the BBC: 'Because I was so angry I said she wasn't going to get a penny out of me'.
The birthday boy is also no longer playing with Alex at school.
'I would have sympathised with her about the cost of Alex not showing up, but I just can't believe the way she has gone about it,' Mr Nash added.


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Bemused: The bill for the no show fee at the ski centre (left) and Mr Nash with his son. 'I thought it was a joke to begin with,' he said. 'I told her I would not be paying her the money. She should have spoken to me first'



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Family attraction: The 'slide and ride' party at the ski centre in Plymouth would have included 'snow tubing', three toboggan rides per child and a hot meal with a pudding of jelly and ice cream



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'It seems to be a dispute between two parents and the parent who wrote the invoice has put us on it, which is crazy. We have nothing to do with it,' said manager Louisa Duggan. 'There's no such thing as a no-show fee'

The host's mother could have little luck getting back the £15.95 in court - where the administration fee to make a claim is £25. 
The ski centre's manager Louisa Duggan said: 'It seems to be a dispute between two parents and the parent who wrote the invoice has put us on it, which is crazy because we have nothing to do with it.
'We ask for a small deposit on booking and 48 hours before the party we ask hosts to confirm numbers and pay us the full amount. It's £15.95 a head for a slide and ride party.
'But there's no such thing as a no-show fee. We don't invoice private individuals, we just ask for payment 48 hours before.
'If the child doesn't show, to be honest we're pretty flexible. We might give the hosts some extra toboggan rides or some credit at the bar.
'I understand people being upset because people outlay a lot of money for these parties, so I understand their frustration.
'Whether invoicing another parent is a good idea or not is not for me to say, but it's certainly not something I'd do.' 


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'I have talked to quite a few people about this,' said Mr Nash, a delivery driver. 'They're all quite incredulous'



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Fallout: Mr Nash said the row has meant the birthday boy is no longer playing with Alex (left) at school

Alex's mother Tanya Walsh, 30, said: 'I messaged Julie on Facebook to say sorry and let's resolve this amicably. And she said "the amicable way I believe is for you to pay me the money. And let that be a lesson learnt."
'I have spoken to Julie after we got the bill and the next thing I heard was she was taking us to the small claims court. I am now waiting to see what she does next.
'My partner went to see her and it ended in an argument. She always seemed nice. Every time I spoke to her previously she was always very polite. All of this is very shocking.
'When Alex couldn't attend we tried contacting them. But I didn't have a number or a full name at the time. It was over the holidays so it was not like I could just bump into her at school.'
The tale has provoked a storm of reaction online, with commenters' loyalties split between the warring families - and some condemning both.











Reaction: Comments on Twitter ranged from the outraged to the amused... to the simply baffled

Ms Walsh, a full-time mother, added: 'She said we had an invite but we don't remember ever getting one. I definitely have not seen one. I have searched the whole house and found nothing.
'She could have tried to contact us before issuing the bill. If she had spoken to us we would have considered paying it.
'I could totally understand her point. It is not about the money for us and we did not mean to let them down. It is the way she has gone about it.' 
'Little Alex was really upset and today he was scared to go to school. He was worried that no one would want to play with him.
'He was upset when I left him at school this morning. But he is a tough cookie and will get over it.'








Talking point: Journalists and newspaper columnists lined up to give their thoughts on the row



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz3PIMEJOrj

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## Dr. Felix Birdbiter

Too much info

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## Coolwalker

> Too much info


Very little info, just a lot of photos.

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## EvilObamaClone

That woman is absolutely nuts. And if society actually allows her to complete this fucking retarded lawsuit, then that society is fucking nuts.

It's just a boy for crying out loud.

And she is nothing more than a bully who is using the law to brow beat a child into submission.

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## Roadmaster

Did the parents say they wanted their child to go and agree to the fee. Has nothing to do with the five year old.

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## alan

Talk about slippin and slidin down a thorny slope.  Yikes.

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## Matt

Rather ridiculous. I would charge the woman with harrassment. I would have a restraining order at that point. That's a level of crazy you just do not want to be involved with.

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## Roadmaster

They were both wrong. You don't sign up for a party with fees if you don't plan on going, you don't book a party with fees without getting it upfront. The ski resort may not charge by head but she booked it on depending on others to help pay.

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## BleedingHeadKen

Let's see:

If the parents of the boy agreed to pay the money, then they are legally liable to pay for it. I work with a lot of businesses that have to build in no-show fees for late cancellations, otherwise they lose a significant amount of money, and time. 

That doesn't mean that it's worth going to court over.

Why do the parents of the birthday child want to charge the other kids? Is that protocol these days?

For any event where one is charging, it's best to get payment at time of RSVP. Going after a no-show is difficult and who wants to deal with giving a long, drawn-out contract to other parents?

They should have left the children out of it. Kids will always side with their parents, and it just creates tension that they don't need nor want.

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## BleedingHeadKen

> Rather ridiculous. I would charge the woman with harrassment. I would have a restraining order at that point. That's a level of crazy you just do not want to be involved with.


I see. So if you agree to pay for something in the future, and the other party incurs a cost on your behalf, it's harassment if they insist that you pay what you agreed to pay even though you decide to go something else.

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## BleedingHeadKen

> They were both wrong. You don't sign up for a party with fees if you don't plan on going, you don't book a party with fees without getting it upfront. The ski resort may not charge by head but she booked it on depending on others to help pay.



The aggrieved party isn't wrong. They deserve the money. They just didn't set up the payment in a way that ensures that they would receive it. Such mistakes usually should be eaten rather than doing something like sending out an invoice and further disturbing some entitled idiots who will drag their 5 year old into the fray.

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## Matt

> I see. So if you agree to pay for something in the future, and the other party incurs a cost on your behalf, it's harassment if they insist that you pay what you agreed to pay even though you decide to go something else.


I disagree. The inviting family is not owed anything at all. That is the risk you take when you plan and pay for a party. Unless a contract was involved then this is indeed criminal harassment and a frivolous lawsuit. Cant believe people are siding with the crazies.

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## Roadmaster

The parents agreed to the amount and then backed out. Unless they signed something saying they are responsible if he goes or not, to me the kid didn't go and doesn't owe anything.

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## BleedingHeadKen

> I disagree. The inviting family is not owed anything at all. That is the risk you take when you plan and pay for a party. Unless a contract was involved then this is indeed criminal harassment and a frivolous lawsuit. Cant believe people are siding with the crazies.


An agreement to pay is an oral contract.

Sending out an invoice to a parent over a kid's birthday party is not a very wise thing to do. It doesn't make them crazy. Nor does it make them wrong. It means that they are simply inept in social graces.

But, since you seem to think that they are insane, perhaps you can tell us when it would be sane. What if the cost was $25, or $50, or $150 and the parents of the 5 year old still refused to pay because they are in a snit over receiving a formal invoice?

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## BleedingHeadKen

> The parents agreed to the amount and then backed out. Unless they signed something saying they are responsible if he goes or not, to me the kid didn't go and doesn't owe anything.


http://legal-dictionary.thefreedicti.../Oral+Contract

These things are usually enforceable in small claims. For such a tiny amount? Not worth it.

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## Matt

> An agreement to pay is an oral contract.
> 
> Sending out an invoice to a parent over a kid's birthday party is not a very wise thing to do. It doesn't make them crazy. Nor does it make them wrong. It means that they are simply inept in social graces.
> 
> But, since you seem to think that they are insane, perhaps you can tell us when it would be sane. What if the cost was $25, or $50, or $150 and the parents of the 5 year old still refused to pay because they are in a snit over receiving a formal invoice?


Remind me to never go into business with cut throats like yourself. Ugh, what a joke. Very dishonest behavior.

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## Roadmaster

> http://legal-dictionary.thefreedicti.../Oral+Contract
> 
> These things are usually enforceable in small claims. For such a tiny amount? Not worth it.


 The court cost will be more than that.

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## RMNIXON

> *Why do the parents of the birthday child want to charge the other kids? Is that protocol these days?*



That is what got to me!

You invite someone to a simple social event then you are presumed to pay the costs involved. Even if the child had attended I would find the bill an insult. If you can't afford to cover some five year old's then perhaps the birthday plans are out of budget and a little modesty is in order.

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## BleedingHeadKen

> Remind me to never go into business with cut throats like yourself. Ugh, what a joke. Very dishonest behavior.


Don't worry, I'd never go into business with an deadbeat with an inflated sense of entitlement who also doesn't keep agreements even for the sake of his child.

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## teeceetx

> The aggrieved party isn't wrong. They deserve the money. They just didn't set up the payment in a way that ensures that they would receive it. Such mistakes usually should be eaten rather than doing something like sending out an invoice and further disturbing some entitled idiots who will drag their 5 year old into the fray.


Agreed.  After all is said and done, they HAD agreed to the invite and it's conditions.  But let's face it, for 15 Euros, why would anyone make a deal out of it.  It's just stupid on both sides.

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BleedingHeadKen (01-30-2015)

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## Katzndogz

Unless the invitation contained a clause in it that failing to show up after an RSVP will cause a no show charge this woman is entitled to nothing.

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