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Am I the only one who thinks an oral contract isn't automatically worthless
I had a guy stiff me on a $800 handshake deal for some landscaping work last summer in Austin, and everyone told me I was dumb for not getting it in writing. But I later found out a text message thread where he described the job counted as a written record, and I actually won a small claims case over it.
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danielr991mo ago
Not automatically worthless" is exactly right. People act like a handshake is nothing, but a judge will look at texts, emails, even witness testimony. Your case proves it's way more gray than most folks think.
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emma_baker611mo ago
Hear me out though, a handshake deal is still just that - a handshake. You can have all the texts and emails in the world but if the other person just says "nah, I changed my mind" you're stuck fighting over what their real intent was. Witness testimony is even worse because people remember things differently or just lie to help their friend. I had a buddy who thought he had a solid case with texts about a car sale and the judge literally said "where's the signed title?" It's not worthless but it's way less solid than a real contract, especially if the money involved is significant.
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sean_barnes241mo ago
@danielr99 nailed it, the gray area is way bigger than people admit. I always tell people to save every text and email right after a verbal deal because those can lock in the terms better than a handshake alone. The key is showing consistent behavior and communication that backs up the agreement, not just relying on one text.
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