B.C. woman who thought Coldplay concert 'was a date' must pay ex for ticket, tribunal rules
![Coldplay The band Coldplay performs in Vancouver, B.C., in September 2017. (Anil Sharma)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2017/9/30/coldplay-1-3613885-1721317754388.jpg)
A B.C. woman has been ordered to repay her ex for a ticket to Coldplay's 2023 concert in Vancouver – in a small claims decision that highlights the distinction between gifts and loans under Canadian law.
The Civil Resolution Tribunal heard Alyssa Randles and Michael Stolfi visited Vancouver for the show last September, but later had a falling out over their $450 tickets.
Stolfi ultimately took Randles to the tribunal asking for $600 in reimbursement – including money for their hotel stay, meals and taxis.
"Ms. Randles says she thought the concert was a date and Mr. Stolfi only asked if she would share the cost after the concert," tribunal member Mark Henderson wrote in a July 15 decision.
While Randles claimed her Coldplay ticket was given to her as a gift, the decision notes that proving as much can be difficult.
"Under the law of gifts, the person who received the alleged gift must establish it was intended to be a gift, and that they accepted the gift when the giver transferred it to them," Henderson said.
"The evidence should show the giver’s intention to make a gift was inconsistent with any other intention."
Randles was ultimately unable to meet that bar.
The tribunal heard she purchased the tickets on her own Ticketmaster account, but that Stolfi e-transferred her $900 to cover the costs shortly after.
Stolfi said Randles had promised to repay her half on her next payday – and Randles did not present compelling evidence to the contrary, according to the decision.
"Ms. Randles did not describe any specific conduct by Mr. Stolfi that establishes Mr. Stolfi intended the trip or the concert to be a gift," Henderson wrote.
"Ms. Randles did not say how long she and Mr. Stolfi had been dating or if Mr. Stolfi typically gave Ms. Randles concert tickets as gifts during their relationship. So, I find that Ms. Randles has not proven the Coldplay ticket was a gift. I find it was a loan."
Ex on the hook for other costs
The tribunal did not order Randles to repay her ex for additional costs, however – including breakfast at a Smitty's restaurant, dinner at Brown's Social House, and a night at a Best Western.
Stolfi claimed they had agreed to split all expenses for the weekend, but Henderson found he, too, lacked sufficient evidence to support that claim.
"The parties had no written contract. A verbal contract is enforceable like a written contract, but it can be harder to prove," the tribunal member wrote.
"For a valid contract to exist, the parties must have a 'meeting of the minds.' This means that both parties must agree on all essential terms and those terms must be clear enough to give a reasonable degree of certainty."
Text message exchanges between Randles and Stolfi did not reflect a "meeting of the minds," Henderson noted.
They showed Stolfi at one point demanded $1,000 from Randles, and that she refused to pay – leading Stolfi to become "increasingly aggressive," according to the decision.
Stolfi at one point gave Randles one week to repay the $1,000, then in the same conversation shortened the deadline to two days, then shortened it again to 5 p.m. that day.
"Mr. Stolfi threatened to contact Ms. Randles’ landlord, employer and family to get payment. As a result of these threats, Ms. Randles contacted the Vancouver Police," Henderson wrote. "Ms. Randles says the police advised her not to pay and to cease contact with Mr. Stolfi."
While the texts showed Randles acknowledging "an undated discussion in which she had agreed to repay" Stolfi, there was no proof she had agreed to particular terms, Henderson added.
The tribunal member refused that part of Stolfi's claim, but ordered Randles to repay $450 for her ticket, plus approximately $81 in pre-judgement interest and CRT fees.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7022566.1725287471!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
Canadian woman charged after $12.3M of meth allegedly found in luggage
A Canadian woman was charged after an estimated $13.4 million of meth was allegedly found in her luggage in Australia.
Edmunds: The four biggest mistakes people make when buying a new car
Car buyers have more tools than ever to get the right vehicle at the right price. Still, mistakes can happen quite easily.
New rules on cellphones as Ontario schools reopen, critics say clarity lacking
New rules that ban the use of cellphones in class are taking effect at schools across Ontario this week, but critics say they're unsure how the regulations will be enforced or how effective they will be.
Titanic expedition yields lost bronze statue, high-resolution photos and other discoveries
A bronze statue from the Titanic -- not seen in decades and feared to be lost for good -- is among the discoveries made by the company with salvage rights to the wreck site on its first expedition there in many years.
Strike disrupts Israel while Biden says Netanyahu not doing enough for Gaza deal
A rare general strike in Israel to protest the failure to return hostages held in Gaza led to disruptions around the country on Monday, while U.S. President Joe Biden added to the pressure by saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn't doing enough to reach a deal for a cease-fire and hostage release.
Canada's transport minister to meet with Via Rail after passengers stranded 10 hours
Canada's transport minister says he is determined to get to the bottom of a recent train delay that left Via Rail passengers stranded for about 10 hours in Quebec over the long weekend.
Save the payphones?: Why one expert says they can't all disappear
These days, it’s gotten increasingly rare to spot a payphone in any community across the country, but one expert says it's important to keep them from disappearing altogether.
Brazil Supreme Court panel unanimously upholds judge's decision to block X nationwide
A Brazilian Supreme Court panel has upheld the decision of one of its justices to block billionaire Elon Musk's social media platform X nationwide, according to the court's website.
Cow cuddling: Why a Newfoundland farm is offering quality time with these 'gentle creatures'
Jim Lester’s farm hopped on the cow-cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.