Parents Sent Invoice for Missing a Child’s Birthday Party

No—this didn’t happen in Hoboken… yet.

According to BBC.com, parents in Cornwall, England received an invoice after failing to attend a birthday party to which their son had been invited. After verbally agreeing to attend, the parents of Alex Nash soon realized that they had “double-booked” their child that day, as he was supposed to spend time with his grandparents.

When Alex failed to show up for the party, the host’s mother, Julie Lawrence, sent an invoice to Nash’s parents for the sum of £15.95 ($24)—the price paid by Lawrence for Nash’s part in the party’s activities at a ski and snowboard center.

The invoice was sent home from school in Nash’s bookbag. The Nash’s father maintains that they had no means of contacting the Lawrence family to amend their verbal agreement, therefore the “grown-up” Mr. Nash had indicated that he will not pay.

As a result, the “grown up” Ms. Lawrence has threatened to take Nash to small claims court.

So…

Who’s the bigger jerk here—the one kid’s parents for not showing up to the party, or the other kid’s parents for sending an invoice?

To be clear, the focus is strictly on the parents in this debate… it appears the kids are the ones taking the high ground here.