Sisters sue over bingo winnings
19th May, 2008
Two sisters successfully sued their other sister after agreeing to share a £50,000 bingo payout won in June 2007.
The two sisters, Doreen Thomas and Linda Kenny, won the case against their sister, Edna Sexton, because the three of them had entered into a verbal agreement. Before they began playing bingo at the Buckingham Bingo Palace club in Liverpool, the sisters decided that if any of them won the £50,000, they would split it up evenly.
After Edna won the prize and returned home she changed her mind about the arrangement. Although she changed her mind about sharing the money, the contract still had power. The two suing sisters were bewildered when they found out the other sister wasn’t going to share the money, and decided to sue.
Edna then went about by spending the entire £50,000. This fact means that although the sisters won their case, it may be a long time before they see any of the prize money.
This case is just an example of how binding verbal agreements are. Judge Derek Halbert, who decided the case, ruled that the agreement was just as binding as any written contract.
The advice here is to not make any verbal agreements you don’t plan on keeping because changing your mind will not offset the contract. However, putting an agreement in writing is much more safe, and its easier than going through a lengthy court hearing.
By Michael
