QLD Pets - Is Email or Text Proof of Purchase and Ownership?

[Gary]

My friend's cat had kittens. She wanted to sell two and give one away. I offered to buy one of them and we agreed a price. We were close to the kitten being ready to be separated from the mother, when my friend stated that because I had helped her out that I could have the kitten at no cost.

When the day came for handover, my friend made up a story about the kitten being ill, then further stories to stop me from getting him. Never once, even when asked, has she told me why she won't release him. All of these conversations were conducted via text and I have saved all of them.

Is this enough proof for me to legally lay claim to not only proving I purchased the kitten but that I am the legal owner of the kitten?

 

[Rob Legat - SBPL]

Not purchased per se. But, there could be enough for a binding contract. You need valuable consideration, and past consideration can count. So by helping out and your friend acknowledging that as valuable, you could have sufficient grounds to argue that you have an enforceable contract for the kitten. However, the time and cost of enforcing that may be prohibitive.