mother-n-law suing over an elleged verbal agreement

[muttrain1975]

Hi I'm new here & could really use some advice!
My mother -n- law is taking my husband to small claims court.We just recieved papers today. Her complaint is he owes her $500.00 for an agreement that was made if she fixed his van & payed off the loan she could have it.The agreement was supposadly a verbal agreement.
Thats her complaint now heres the truth. We pawned the title to our van over 4 yrs.ago.We got in a finacial bind and was unable to pay the note off.We contacted the title pawn & told them to pick the van up.Anyway after a few attempts to get them to pick it up they never have.The water pump on the van went out.It sat in my mothers yard for over year.My mother-n-law told my husband a sob story to get him to let her use the van. He told her the van was not running & legally the van belonged to the title place.He told her she could use it but noone else was to drive and she'd have to fix it.6 months later she still had the van and we found out from her that her husband was driving it.He's not even allowed to drive anymore via doctors orders.Anyway we told her we needed to get the van.4 months after getting the van from her she files a small claims suit against my husband.
Can she win this? How should we fight this?
Thank you for any help

 

[army judge]

Hi I'm new here & could really use some advice!
My mother -n- law is taking my husband to small claims court.We just recieved papers today. Her complaint is he owes her $500.00 for an agreement that was made if she fixed his van & payed off the loan she could have it.The agreement was supposadly a verbal agreement.
Thats her complaint now heres the truth. We pawned the title to our van over 4 yrs.ago.We got in a finacial bind and was unable to pay the note off.We contacted the title pawn & told them to pick the van up.Anyway after a few attempts to get them to pick it up they never have.The water pump on the van went out.It sat in my mothers yard for over year.My mother-n-law told my husband a sob story to get him to let her use the van. He told her the van was not running & legally the van belonged to the title place.He told her she could use it but noone else was to drive and she'd have to fix it.6 months later she still had the van and we found out from her that her husband was driving it.He's not even allowed to drive anymore via doctors orders.Anyway we told her we needed to get the van.4 months after getting the van from her she files a small claims suit against my husband.
Can she win this? How should we fight this?
Thank you for any help

I don't know what you think you can win.
But, you can tell the truth and bring the proof to support your claim.

First of all, contact the title company, and tell them where the van is located.
You'll see that they don't want vehicles, they want money.
More than likely, they'll forgo retrieving their van.
But, you never know.
At least you will have done the correct thing, insofar as the van is concerned.

Tell your version of events about the "alleged" loan.
Bring any proof, or any witnesses that verify your story.
The judge will decide who he/she believes.

One more thing to consider.
When you speak with the title company, they may tell you that your mother-in-law paid off the debt.
If she did, then you do owe her the money.
In the interim, she might have decided to keep the van.
The title company may have signed the title over to her.

Your mother-in-law may have properly titled and registered the van.
The van is running, no matter who is driving it.
So, someone must have fixed the van's ills.
If that is true, that may explain why your mother-in-law is coming after you for the $500.
If my scenario is true, she more than likely will win.

 

[muttrain1975]

Thanks for replying so quickly.
The title loan is not paid off.She told my husband on his phones answering machine that she didnt even want the van any longer she wanted $500.00. She never made any attempt to try to go about paying the loan & getting the title when she was using the van. My husband never told her she could have the van,he did tell her if she wanted to fix it then she could use it. The title is with the title pawn but the tag is in my husbands name,so he feared by her letting others drive it if something happened it would fall back on him. There actually is no proof on either side.There are no witnesses & no papers.
Thank you again 4 the help.

 

[muttrain1975]

Oh I forgot to add it only cost her $30.00 to fix the van.So I dont know how she came up with $500??

 

[FlaRiptide]

Can she win this? How should we fight this?

Is $500 worth fighting over among relatives? It may cost you more in grief.

 

[muttrain1975]

Is $500 worth fighting over among relatives? It may cost you more in grief.

Yes it is when I know we are in the right.Theres a long history with this woman.In the 17 yrs i've been in this family she has done nothing but cause grief and take all she can.My husband went against his better judgement & tried to help her but it's being turned against him.
She also tagged the vehicle under my husbands name,signing his name to the tag reciept & she insured it under her name with her insurance company.