Love is blind and can sometimes lead you into financial folly – the right legal advice, however, can help you to pick up the pieces. In one case, the High Court came to the aid of a wealthy divorcee who unwisely lent her Aston Martin and large sums of money to her fantasist boyfriend.
When the woman met the expensively dressed estate agent whilst home hunting, he appeared to be a man of means, driving a Porsche and owning his own business. His finances were perilous, however, and during their seven-year relationship, she lent him more than £70,000 and bought the £42,000 car for him to drive.
The Court noted that the man appeared to be living in a fantasy world, in which he was always right, and that the woman’s conduct was perhaps naive in retrospect. She felt strongly that she had wasted both her time and her money on him.
After she instructed solicitors, he did not defend her claim for repayment of the loans and judgment was entered against him for £73,366. Following a hearing, she was also awarded £8,495 in respect of damage caused to the Aston Martin whilst it was in his possession.