Dawn Lahr said:
I live in Iowa and am planning a wedding for next year. I thought I had found my reception location and so had put down a deposit even though I had not yet signed a contract. Upon receiving information about the location that was not presented to me up front, I decided to have my reception somewhere else. Am I bound to a "verbal" agreement since I put money up front before I was given a contract to sign? Since I still have not signed a contract am I entitled to a full refund?
My response:
You can, assuming you haven't already done so, write them a letter and ask for your money back (with a follow-up phone call). The worst they can say is "No refunds".
As long as you're an adult (18 or older), then an oral contract is good in Iowa. Further, your written receipt is evidence of the oral contract. Your oral contract, presumably, did not include an agreement concerning "refunds". Therefore, the location owners, I'm sure, are ready, willing and able to perform their end of the bargain and contract, despite payment in full. If you decide that you don't want their services or location, that's your choice and you are certainly welcome to forfeit your downpayment money.
However, before you get yourself into more hot soup, you should send them written notice, by Certified Return Receipt Mail, that it is not your intent to utilize their services, location or facilities on the date you reserved. If you fail to do so, and you don't pay for the reservation in full, you could be sued for the full amount because they had an obligation to make the facilities available for you, and will have lost other, full paying, business for that date.
IAAL
