Baltimore, MD asked in Contracts, Civil Litigation and Small Claims for Virginia

Q: Can you sue someone for saying they would pay something off for you?

My now ex boyfriend agreed for me to purchase a laptop for school and agreed he would make the monthly payments. Now that we aren’t together he tells me he’s not going to pay it . It is now going to affect my credit because I can’t afford to pay it since I’m not working. The total amount is $1600 and now he no longer wants to make the payments. This was a verbal agreement nothing in writing saying he would pay it but I do have proof he was helping me look for a laptop online. Can I take him to small claims court?

1 Lawyer Answer
F. Paul Maloof
F. Paul Maloof
Answered
  • Alexandria, VA
  • Licensed in Virginia

A: Given this was an oral agreement, and you claim it was breached for nonpayment, you can bring a Warrant in Debt in General District Court in the jurisdiction (county/city) where the agreement was reached. Since the amount is less than $5,000.00, this is a small claims court case in which no lawyers are permitted. As the claimant, you have the burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence to persuade the Judge that there was an agreement, the terms of the agreement, and that the other party breached the agreement. This is the easy part. Collecting on the judgment will be the hard part.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.