Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Massachusetts
I am a legal resident of Massachusetts, but I study at Brown University in RI. A friend of mine asked me to tutor her for a math exam (she studies at Mount Holyoke in MA), and offered to pay me for my services. I said that I would decide whether or not I would ask for monetary compensation later. I tutored her on two separate occasions, once in RI and once in MA, for a total of 5 hours. After three weeks, I asked for $120 in payment (my usual rate is $30 per hour, but as we had been friends for several years I decided to give her a discount). She agreed, and told me that if I came to her home she would give me the money. Ten days later, we had a falling out and she informed me that she would not pay me. Is this theft of services, and am I legally entitled to the $120?
1 Answer from Attorneys
i would not consider this theft of services, but I would suggest filing a small claims action.