Dominique Buttitta wanted to get married in style, so she spared no expense on her upcoming nuptials: $30,000 to reserve a banquet hall outside Chicago; $11,000 for flowers and spot lighting; $10,000 for an orchestra; $5,000 on her wedding dress and veil. As Buttitta excitedly continued preparations, the costs kept mounting. Then, four days before the big day, her fiance called the Oct. 2 wedding off.
With such short notice, she could not recover most the money she had spent — so the 32-year-old lawyer is suing. In a civil suit filed a few weeks ago in Illinois, she accuses Vito Salerno, 31, of “breach of promise to marry” and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She’s seeking more than $95,000 in damages, plus the costs of filing the suit.
How are Buttitta’s chances in court? Not bad at all, according to attorney, feminist and activist Gloria Allred. “Many states would permit her to recoup her out-of-pocket costs for the wedding preparations,” Allred said, citing the legal theory of “detrimental reliance.”
“She relied on their joint decision regarding the marriage ceremony and party, and spent her own funds on her reliance on his representation,” Allred explained. “If he backs out, he should pay her back.
Neither Buttitta nor Salerno granted rviews to TODAYshow.com. One of Buttitta’s three attorneys wrote in an e-mail that Buttitta is “suffering from the flu and has consequently lost her voice. Upon her recovery, we anticipate responding.”
Salerno’s lawyer, Vincent Stark, has instructed his client not to speak to reporters, but described the lawsuit’s claims as “false allegations.” He also said the damages the suit seeks for infliction of emotional distress are “not recoverable” under Illinois law.
Stark said he filed a request with the court last week asking the case be ruled by a jury rather than a judge, should it go to trial. “I’m always optimistic to settle the case before it goes to trial,” he said
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