Cancelling a registry office booking FEES

hogshead

Brief story

Brother & intended planned to marry but no rush
He has a phsycotic breakdown & is sectioned under mental health act. Very distressing to all but such is life. Within weeks of being discharged he & intended book a registry office wedding due to take place within 4 weeks of booking.
Family are appalled, try to discourage due to mental state but no joy.
Now less than 2 weeks away he is back in mental health unit, wedding is off. Family relieved TBH re the wedding not the mental health unit but he needs to get better.

Spoke with registry office to cancel & they plan to keep all monies paid to them.
I appreciate that due to short notice the space may not get filled & would expect them to hold some money back due to admin etc. No one will be there to get married so no legal paperwork to fill in, no one required to conduct a ceremony etc.

Is there anything that can be done to at least recoup some of the money. They paid the total of £150.

Thanks for any helpful advice offered.

FriendlyJ

Hi hogshead,
What usually happens when you go & give your notice of intention to marry you pay a statutory fee of £30 each on the day (non refundable). Then a fee of £43.50 is payable on the day of the marriage, this fee is not charged if the couple cancel. If the register office has been made into an approved premise (like making it into a private venue) then this fee will be higher it is then up to the individual local authority whether this is refundable.
Hope this helps
J

hogshead

It's the normal reg office of our city ( birth/death/marriages ), not a hotel or private venue ( local attraction )
Thanks for your help, much appreciated.
.

MrsTinks

Not necessarily...

As an example in Oxon these are the fees that might apply:
Venue2008/09
Abingdon - School House£140
Banbury - Bodicote House £140
Bicester - Garth Park £140
Didcot - Broadway Room £140
Henley - Regatta Court £140
Oxford:
Register office (Tues - Sat) £43.50
Dexter Room (Tues - Fri) £80
Dexter Room (Sat am) £140
Wantage - Civic Centre £140
Wheatley - Shotover RoomApproved venue rates - see below
Witney - Windrush Rooms £140

Dexter Room is in the registry office but it's not the main registry room. So if that is what they have booked then £150 sounds right - again we paid about £150 for ours at an approved venue - at 2 weeks from the wedding then I don't think it's unreasonable that they keep the funds - they can't take another booking for that slot because the intended marriage has to be annouced MORE than 2 weeks before the day... So they wouldn't be able to refill that slot.
However - best wishes to your brother and I hope he gets better soon.