Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Man, florist in thorny lawsuit over wife's discovery
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5042122.html ^

Posted on 08/09/2007 6:03:35 PM PDT by Orange1998

Man, florist in thorny lawsuit over wife's discovery

By MARY FLOOD

If you say it with flowers, you might wind up saying it again in court.

Claiming 1-800-flowers.com made his life considerably less rosy, a Missouri City man sued the company, alleging it made his divorce case thornier by faxing his wife a love note and receipt for flowers he sent his girlfriend.

Leroy Greer, a luxury car sales manager, filed a lawsuit this week in Houston federal court asking that the florist pay for his mental anguish and for the increased amount he figures he'll eventually pay in his ongoing Fort Bend County divorce because the company faxed his wife evidence against him.

Greer complains the florist breached the contract made when he called and ordered long-stemmed roses and a stuffed animal for his girlfriend. He says the florist broke its own privacy policy and specific promises made when he ordered and asked nothing be sent to his home.

The company said it will not comment on the lawsuit but also said it will not take responsibility "for an individual's personal conduct."

His conduct isn't the issue, said one of Greer's attorneys, Tara N. Long. "Our client is not saying the circumstances of his relationship are not his fault," she said.

But Long said 1-800-flowers.com harmed Greer, who alleges what had been an amicable divorce case bloomed into a hellish fight and he could lose more money because his wife now has written proof of his relationship with another woman.

"We didn't file this frivolously. We tried to talk to 1-800-flowers.com. All indications were they were willing to settle, then they stopped communicating," said Kennitra M. Foote, Greer's other attorney. They asked for $1 million in a demand letter to the florist. They said the extra divorce costs alone could be more than $300,000.

1-800-flowers.com, a publicly traded company based in Carle Place, N.Y., responded to an inquiry about the suit Thursday with a written statement from Steven Jarmon, vice president for brand communications and partnership marketing:

"At 1-800-flowers.com we take pride in creating relationships with our customers by recognizing and thanking them for their business. We take all matters relating to our customers seriously; however, we are not responsible for an individual's personal conduct. Beyond this, it is the company's policy not to comment on pending litigation and legal matters."

The lawsuit alleges that when Greer sent posies to his girlfriend, he was promised that the florist would send nothing to his home. But 1-800-flowers.com sent a discount coupon and a thank you card to Greer's house.

Greer's wife saw it, called the company and was faxed the receipt, according to the lawsuit. On the receipt is the name of the woman who received $100 in gifts, invoiced as "Occasion: Love & Romance."

And the message on the card: "Just wanted to say that I love you and you mean the world to me! Leroy."

This receipt is attached to Greer's federal lawsuit, along with a handwritten note on the bottom of the page: "Be a man! If you got caught red handed then don't still lie."

Greer said Thursday that his wife included that note when she faxed the receipt to him at work.

"Yes, it was my conduct," Greer said of the relationship and the gifts.

And he accepted the florist's conduct, to a point. "The thank you note was fine. It was sending all that information to my wife that's the problem," Greer said.

L. Mickele' Daniels, the divorce lawyer for Greer's wife, declined to comment on the lawsuit, and said nothing has happened on the divorce since February 2006. Greer's wife also did not want to comment.

County records show that the couple has filed and withdrawn divorce actions twice previously.

Greer said he expects this divorce to go through and to cost him a lot more than it would have before 1-800-flowers.com sent that fax.

Richard Alderman, a consumer law expert and University of Houston Law Center professor, said lawsuits against companies that break promises can have merit. "If a company doesn't do what it promises, what it represents, that is usually a breach of contract and a deceptive trade practice," said Alderman, who has not seen Greer's lawsuit.

"But the real question here is are there any damages, is he entitled to anything?" Alderman said.

He said under contract law, Greer has to show his damages were foreseeable. Under the deceptive trade practices law, he would have to show the florist promised him something it knew it would not do. And Greer would have to prove the divorce, if ever finalized, cost him more because of the fax.

As for sending flowers you want kept secret, Alderman said: "I'm a big consumer advocate but in this case I'd have to go with caveat emptor" — let the buyer beware.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: adultery; lawsuit; leroygreer
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-45 next last
To: Orange1998

This is HILARIOUS! Caveat emptor!


21 posted on 08/09/2007 6:27:34 PM PDT by Theresawithanh (FRED!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xcamel

Not to mention...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1878596/posts


22 posted on 08/09/2007 6:29:50 PM PDT by RandallFlagg (Satisfaction was my sin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: popdonnelly
The company should claim protected speech under the 1st Amendment.

Any one of us could have tipped off his wife.

As long as the story were true (ie. not slanderous) then there'd be no way to sue for anything.

23 posted on 08/09/2007 6:33:59 PM PDT by SteveMcKing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Congressman Billybob

Sure going to be chuckles when he testifies. LOL


24 posted on 08/09/2007 6:56:10 PM PDT by Orange1998 (4 Real)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: xcamel

I didn’t find it on search because of the title. Anywho the Houston Chronicle has more depth since it happen in the local community.


25 posted on 08/09/2007 7:00:59 PM PDT by Orange1998 (4 Real)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: RandallFlagg

Again the title was not found. The Houston Chronicle has more information since it occurred here locally. Seems the other two post are from someones blog.


26 posted on 08/09/2007 7:03:20 PM PDT by Orange1998 (4 Real)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Orange1998

“There is nothing like a scorn woman.”

Yes, and a scorned woman too.


27 posted on 08/09/2007 7:06:35 PM PDT by toddlintown (Six bullets and Lennon goes down. Yet not one hit Yoko. Discuss.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: toddlintown

OK I get it.


28 posted on 08/09/2007 7:07:23 PM PDT by Orange1998 (4 Real)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Orange1998

“OK I get it.”

So did this guy’s wife.


29 posted on 08/09/2007 7:10:14 PM PDT by toddlintown (Six bullets and Lennon goes down. Yet not one hit Yoko. Discuss.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: toddlintown

OK She (girlfriend) got it.


30 posted on 08/09/2007 7:19:39 PM PDT by Orange1998 (4 Real)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Orange1998

Oh, I wasn’t complaining at all. The more publicity the bum receives, the better.


31 posted on 08/09/2007 7:21:56 PM PDT by RandallFlagg (Satisfaction was my sin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Orange1998

O1998, pay no attention to formercamel.
He has made his life’s goal to root out
all double posts.


32 posted on 08/09/2007 7:25:03 PM PDT by WKB (It's hard to tell who's more afraid of Fred Thompson; The Dims or the rudibots.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lowbridge

When his wife called him a liar, I bet he had a hard time trying to back-petal.


33 posted on 08/09/2007 7:29:51 PM PDT by Homer1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Kozak

It sounds like this florist represented that they had a “privacy policy,” without which, they would not have been able attain Greer’s business.


34 posted on 08/09/2007 7:32:08 PM PDT by Homer1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: dfwddr

The company has put itself in a bad position here as well.


35 posted on 08/09/2007 7:33:42 PM PDT by Homer1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Orange1998

Definition of a nervous wreck:

A man with a wife

A girlfriend

and a note at the flower shop- all one month past due.


36 posted on 08/09/2007 7:36:40 PM PDT by racnpartsales4u ("When Bea Arthur speaks, people do listen," he said.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Thinkin' Gal

He’s lucky he’s not pushin’ up daisies!


37 posted on 08/09/2007 8:07:58 PM PDT by Lijahsbubbe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Orange1998

amicable divorce case...

There is NO SUCH THING


38 posted on 08/09/2007 9:51:32 PM PDT by Paisan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Orange1998; xcamel; RandallFlagg
I see a lot of thread nannying going on here.
One thing I did notice is that the titles of the articles are different.

So...just HOW is the search function gonna pick up on that?



39 posted on 08/09/2007 10:56:37 PM PDT by dixiechick2000 (There ought to be one day-- just one-- when there is open season on senators. ~~ Will Rogers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dixiechick2000

I wasn’t thread nannying at all. I’m GLAD that this scumbag adulterer’s getting all of this attention.


40 posted on 08/09/2007 11:18:07 PM PDT by RandallFlagg (Satisfaction was my sin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-45 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson