HOT DEBATE For a college graduation present, a wealthy aunt promised to pay for Maureen and a friend to take a luxury Mediterranean cruise from Greece to Spain via Italy. At the graduation exercises, however, her aunt gave her a kiss instead and said, “The stock market is down. Sorry, darling!”

Where Do You Stand? 1.State two reasons why you think the aunt is legally obligated to pay for the cruise. Maureen should be able to recover the value of the trip b/c of basic fairness. Maureen may have passed up other opportunities b/c the trip was already on her schedule, such reliance, if reasonably anticipatable, may legally bind the Aunt to her promise. 2. State two reasons why you think the aunt should not have to pay. The aunt simply made a promise to make a gift; this was not a binding contract. The trip would have been a luxury for Maureen. The Aunt would not be harming Maureen by declining to give her a luxury item.

Where Do You Stand? 3.Which reasons are more persuasive? The aunt not paying is more persuasive because there was no contract involved. Just because the aunt said she was going to do something doesn’t mean that she has to do it. If there was a contract involved then the aunt would have to pay.