I'm owed money

[SRPC21]

Hi,

I paid a venue $200 for a birthday event that never happened due to Covid. I have since been told there is a new company in charge of the venue so they are not able to give me a refund (but have offered me a voucher to use in the next two months, which really doesn't work for me).

Does this company have a legal obligation to pay my money back?

 

[Ohiogal]

The company you originally paid most likely is the one who will owe you the money if the $200 was refundable per the contract.

 

[Taxing Matters]

Does this company have a legal obligation to pay my money back?

There are are at least three important facts missing from your post that are needed to answer it. First is the state in which the venue is located. The second is what exactly the contract says about refunds, if anything. The third is what you mean when you say there is a "new company in charge of the venue". Do you mean ownership of the venue has changed, or that the ownership is the same but there is a different company managing it, or something else?

 

[LdiJ]

There are are at least three important facts missing from your post that are needed to answer it. First is the state in which the venue is located. The second is what exactly the contract says about refunds, if anything. The third is what you mean when you say there is a "new company in charge of the venue". Do you mean ownership of the venue has changed, or that the ownership is the same but there is a different company managing it, or something else?

I think that there is one more question. Could you still have had the party but chose not to due to COVID, or were you unable to have the party because the venue was shut down due to COVID?

 

[zddoodah]

I paid a venue $200 for a birthday event that never happened due to Covid.

Let's just be clear about the facts because they're important. You did not "[pay] a venue." Rather, you paid a person or an entity -- presumably one that owns or manages the venue. Did you make this payment pursuant to a written agreement? If so, did you make your payment to the other party to the written agreement? If so, what does the written agreement say about cancelations? If not, who was the payee and what is his/her/its relationship to the other party to the written agreement? Did you pay with cash, check, credit card or something else? Did you get a receipt? When did you make the payment? Please also answer the questions in the prior responses.

I have since been told there is a new company in charge of the venue so they are not able to give me a refund

Been told by whom? Not able (i.e., lacks the ability -- presumably because of lack of money) or not willing? I assume it's the latter.

Does this company have a legal obligation to pay my money back?

Which one? You've given us no reason to believe the "new company in charge of the venue" has any obligations to you. Whether the person or entity to whom you made the payment in the first place has any obligation to pay any or all of your money back depends on the terms of any written agreement you made.