A lawsuit against an event hall or party hall is not a happy thing because filing a lawsuit means that an event that was supposed to be joyful, in which many friends and relatives probably attended, disappointed you significantly, and may even have caused you financial, emotional, and, in very extreme cases, physical harm.
A lawsuit against an event hall is filed in many cases, such as weddings, birthdays, Bar Mitzvah celebrations, various conferences, and more.
תביעה נגד אולם אירועים עשויה להיות מורכבת מבחינת התובעים לנוכח האמוציות השליליות הרבות, וכן, סכום התביעה שעשוי להיות משמעותי ביותר. אין זה מפתיע לנוכח העובדה שאולמות אירועים גובים כיום תשלום בין 150-400 ש"ח לאדם (ולעיתים אף יותר), כך שאם אולם האירועים כשל מסיבה כזו או אחרת, וברצונכם לדרוש את כספכם בחזרה, סכום התביעה עשוי להגיע למאות אלפי שקלים (בהתאם למספר המוזמנים).
In such cases, it is very advisable to seek the services of Claims lawyer Experienced, who will accompany you in this difficult lawsuit, which may be filed not only against the event hall itself (the company) but, in some cases, also against the owner of the event hall.
In some cases, in addition to a lawsuit against the event venue, a lawsuit can also be filed against the event organizer who was responsible for producing the event.
Lawsuit against an event venue for breach of contract
A lawsuit against an event hall for Breach of contract It can be filed in various cases, but the common denominator in all of those cases is that a representative from the event venue promised something, orally or in writing, And that promise was not fulfilled at all or was fulfilled partially.
Claim for breach of written contract
A claim for damages against an event venue for breach of a written contract may be much simpler than a claim for damages against an event venue for an oral promise, given the difficulty sometimes of proving that the oral promise was actually given (more on this later).
Many people do not bother to read the agreement from beginning to end before signing or actually making the payment, and rely on verbal promises from event hall representatives, who in fact write different data in the contract agreement compared to the verbal promises (sometimes intentionally and sometimes out of lack of attention). For this reason, it is very important to carefully read the contract before signing it in order to correct any discrepancies in relation to oral promises..
In order to file a claim against an event venue for breach of contract, you should first re-read the contract you signed with the event venue. You may think you received something that was not actually stated in the contract, and therefore you may not have a cause of action at all.
Assuming you have read the contract and discovered that there is indeed a discrepancy between what is written in the contract and what was actually provided, or what you were actually obligated for, do not rush to file a lawsuit or involve a law firm in the story. Simply contact a representative of the event venue and try to clarify the matter. In some (small) cases, you can resolve the dispute this way.
In most cases, there will be no escape from filing a lawsuit against an event hall because life experience shows (and especially in light of inquiries to our office regarding this matter) that event hall owners are in no hurry to resolve problems at the end of the event, and after actual payment has been made.
לצורך הגשת תביעה נגד אולם אירועים תאלצו להצטייד בראיות בגין המחדל הרלוונטי. נניח שבהסכם ההתקשרות נכתב שאתם משלמים 400 ש"ח לאדם. תשלום זה כולל הגשת סטייק אנטריקוט כמנה עיקרית, אך בפועל הוגשו לאורחים באירוע שניצלים, או שהאוכל היה ברמה נמוכה מאוד ופשוט לא טעים. ברור שבמקרה כזה ישנה הפרת חוזה משמעותית המאפשרת הגשת תביעה נגד אולם אירועים.
Another example that illustrates the need to file a lawsuit against an event venue: The contract agreement stated that the event venue was responsible for providing a DJ and photographers, but in reality there were no DJs or photographers at the event. This is also a breach of contract.
One of the simplest ways to prove a breach of a written contract is through witnesses who will be forced to sign affidavits and, if necessary, appear and testify in court. Following the previous examples, people will be able to state that they did indeed receive only schnitzels (and not steaks) and that there was indeed no DJ or photographer at the event.
Another way to establish a claim against an event venue is through videos and photos. Today, everyone has a smartphone with a sophisticated camera and it is no problem to document the failures at any event.
Additional evidence of the venue’s breach of contract is through recordings of conversations between you and the venue’s representatives. During the recording of the conversation, you do not have to inform them that you are recording the conversation. Please note an important point – the recorder must take part in the conversation so that the recording is not disallowed in court due to wiretapping.
Only in a situation where there is sufficient evidence of a breach of a written contract can action be taken to file a lawsuit against an event venue.
Claim for breach of oral contract
You may not have known this, but a promise made orally may be a binding contract for all purposes, and a lawsuit can be filed against an event venue if a representative on behalf of the venue promised something orally, and the promise was not kept.
Filing a lawsuit against an event venue for an oral promise usually encounters one major difficulty – proving that the promise was actually made. To overcome this difficulty, require the event venue representative to record any promises made orally in the written agreement. This way, you will save yourself a lot of unpleasantness in the future.
Let's say you didn't insist on a venue representative making a promise that wasn't kept. Is that the end of the story? The answer is no. You can still file a lawsuit against the venue, but you will have to rely on witnesses who were present at the time the promise was made, and who personally heard the venue representative promise you something (which ultimately wasn't kept).
Lawsuit against a party hall for negligence or personal injury
A lawsuit against a party hall can be filed not only in the case of breach of contract. Sometimes a lawsuit against a party hall is filed as a result of the party hall's negligence which leads to property damage or physical injury to one of the party hall's guests (for example, due to a wet floor which leads to slipping and breaking bones or serving a substance to unclog drains instead of soft drinks).
These cases may be slightly more complex than filing a claim against an event venue for breach of contract, because the damage may also need to be proven through expert or medical opinion.
Claim against various service providers related to the event
In some cases, you will not be able to file a claim against an event venue because the event venue fulfilled all of its obligations, but various service providers you hired for the event did not perform their work fully or partially.
Lawsuit against event photographer
A lawsuit can be filed against an event photographer if he did not perform his work at all or not as agreed. Common lawsuits against photographers involve not performing the work at all, losing memory cards so that the photos cannot be provided, taking a small number of photos during the event (as opposed to the agreed minimum), taking low-quality photos (for example, blurry photos or in poor lighting).
These claims are usually filed in small claims court as part of a small claim.
Lawsuit against event organizer
An event planner is not necessarily someone associated with the event hall. There are people whose area of expertise is organizing and producing events.
In very large events, an event planner plays a very central role in the event (and therefore, the services of an event planner often involve a significant fee). Usually, when an event planner is hired, his clients do not take an active part in organizing the event, but only approve his proposals.
Similar to the cases relevant to filing a lawsuit against an event venue, it is also very useful to have a written agreement in place so that it is clear to the parties to the contract what they are receiving and what they are paying for. If the event organizer fails in their work and the event does not match the event organizer's promises, this allows for filing a lawsuit against them.
Lawsuit against DJ
Common cases in which lawsuits are filed against a DJ: he finished his work before the agreed time, arrived without the necessary equipment, did not play the songs that were agreed upon in advance, was late for the event or did not arrive at all.
Make sure that an agreed compensation clause appears in the contract with the venue.
One way to prevent problems is to demand in advance from the event venue an agreed-upon compensation in the event of a breach of contract. Standard event venue contracts include a clause that refers to an agreed-upon compensation if the clients cancel the event in violation of the contract's provisions. This is usually a few dozen percent of the total amount (amounts that can easily reach tens of thousands of shekels).
אין שום סיבה שבמסגרת המשא ומתן ביניכם ובין אולם האירועים לא תדרשו להכניס לחוזה סעיף נוסף המתייחס לפיצוי מוסכם במקרה של הפרת החוזה על ידי אולם האירועים. מטרתו של סעיף הפיצוי המוסכם הוא להרתיע את הצד שמתכוון להפר את ההסכם, מלהפר אותו בפועל, ולכן, אם אתם רוצים להקטין ככל הניתן את הסיכוי שתאלצו להגיש תביעה נגד אולם אירועים הקפידו "להזכיר" לו, באמצעות סעיף Agreed compensation, what he may lose in the event that the event does not take place in accordance with the terms of the contract.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Filing a Claim Against an Event Venue
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When can a small claim be filed against an event venue?
ככל שמדובר בתביעה בסכום של כ-40 אלף ש"ח (הסכום מתעדכן מדי שנה) ניתן להגיש תביעה קטנה.
Beyond this amount, a claim must be filed with the Magistrate's Court. -
Is it possible to cancel a deal with an event venue?
In most cases, event venues protect themselves from cancellation of a deal through draconian cancellation clauses that include cancellation fees that can reach thousands or tens of thousands of shekels. Do not rush to pay these amounts before consulting a lawyer.
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How much compensation can be received after filing a lawsuit against an event venue?
The amounts vary from case to case and depending on the circumstances of each specific case.
To receive significant financial compensation, you must prove that significant damage has indeed been caused. -
Can I sue the owner of the event hall?
Most events venues operate as a company, meaning they are a separate legal entity from the venue owner. In most cases, you cannot sue the venue owner (of course, there are exceptions).
