Abu Dhabi court orders father to pay school Dh197,680 in unpaid fees

An Abu Dhabi court has ordered a parent to pay Dh197,680 to a private school after finding that tuition fees for his children had not been paid. The Abu Dhabi Commercial Court of First Instance also held a woman jointly responsible for Dh142,800, the value of a cheque issued from her bank account.

Court records said the parent enrolled his children at the school but failed to settle the fees. He later gave the school a cheque covering part of the outstanding amount. The cheque could not be cashed because it had been prepared in a way that prevented payment. The published ruling referred to an earlier criminal case connected with the cheque but did not state the penalty or explain the woman’s relationship with the parent.

The school supported its civil claim with invoices and account statements, a copy of the bounced cheque, proof that it had been returned and a copy of the related criminal judgment. It sought Dh197,680 from the parent, joint liability for Dh142,800 from the woman and Dh15,000 in damages.

The woman argued that the case against her should be dismissed because she was not involved in the dispute. The court rejected that argument, finding that the cheque had been issued from her account in favor of the school. It also noted that she had provided no evidence that the amount had been paid or that she was no longer responsible for it.

The parent appeared before the court but failed to successfully challenge the school’s evidence or prove that the tuition had already been paid. The court awarded the school Dh3,000 in compensation, in addition to the unpaid fees and joint cheque liability. It also ordered the pair to pay court expenses and Dh200 in legal fees, while rejecting the school’s remaining requests.