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Writing a Contract in Blood Apparently Doesn't Work in CA
It's late, you're tipsy and you just pricked yourself with a safety pin to write a contract in blood on a napkin. "Sir, please forgive me. Because of my deeds you have suffered financially. I will repay you to the best of my ability." Then some language was added in pen. That's what Stephen Son did for his friend Jinsoo Kim in October 2004 because he was owed $170,000. Kim then used that to sue Son, but a lower court and the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana yesterday said it was a "gratuitous unenforceable promise." Not only is the pen mightier than the sword, it's holier than your own blood.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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