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slimshady023 · Apr 1, 2006, 04:56 AM

Hey all,

So my friends and I went to Reno, and my friend and I thought that it would be funny if we punk'd our friends by going through a fake wedding, but not signing the actual papers. We'd send the photos home and later have a good chuckle about it all.

However, it was too expensive and we decided against it. That thought was still seeded in the back of our minds, though.

That evening, our friend Toad (who is a pastor via the internet) decided that we could still get married. We were pretty drunk at this point, and thought it was funny just to have a fake ceremony. He wrote down some barely legible words on a piece of paper, and my bride-to-be and myself wrote in fake signatures. Then we went on with the little ceremony and voila, we're married.

Fast-forward to today. My friend says that we are married, and that he has submitted the paperwork. However, the names on the paper were not our legal names (my friend signed her name as "Hugo Black", nor were there any rings present. He claims that this does not matter, so long as a witness was present to acknowledge our putting pen to paper.

Who's right? And is this legal?

If anyone's learned anything from this, don't drink!

- Slim

himself · Apr 1, 2006, 05:22 AM

I think your friend is clever prankster...

Happy April Fools, sucker!

turtle777 · Apr 3, 2006, 12:25 AM

Please don't tell me yuor friend is Salty

-t

slimshady023 · Apr 3, 2006, 02:20 AM

Unfortunately, not Salty and also not an April Fools joke. It happened a week ago, I just haven't been able to find any relevant legal resources on it since then.

himself · Apr 3, 2006, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by slimshady023

Unfortunately, not Salty and also not an April Fools joke. It happened a week ago, I just haven't been able to find any relevant legal resources on it since then.

Well, you would need to check with your secretary of state or the county clerk, or whoever oversees these matters in Nevada or the state where documents are purported to have been filed, to verify that your "marriage" is indeed valid (or not). If it is valid, you should be able to file for an annulment.

However, if nobody paid for a marriage license, the marriage probably isn't valid.

Check with the county clerk.

OreoCookie · Apr 3, 2006, 09:37 AM

Just one question: why does your friend want to consider the two of you tp be married?

Some other thoughts are: isn't a marriage only legally recognized if someone who has a licence performed the ceremony?

slimshady023 · Apr 5, 2006, 12:39 AM

Himself -- thanks, that's great advice. I appreciate your taking the time to write about that.

OreoCookie -- my friend is a comical person, you'd have to meet him to understand. The girl that I married has been a good friend of mine for two years now, one of my best friends in fact. So, maybe he felt like he was doing us a service?

He is a notary and is licensed to legally perform weddings. However, that doesn't mean that he doesn't use his skills for evil!

Rumor · Apr 5, 2006, 01:11 AM

If by chance it is legal, it can be anulled.

turtle777 · Apr 5, 2006, 01:31 AM

Originally Posted by slimshady023

my friend is a comical person, you'd have to meet him to understand.

Your friend is an idiot.

But again, does he have a license to merry people ?
He's an internet pastor ? WTF is that anyways ? What denomination is he affiliated with ? What credentials does he have ?

This thing will NEVER be recognized.
What if you both deny you signed it ? It's your words against an internet pastor ?

Again, your friend is an idiot.

-t

brassplayersrock² · Apr 5, 2006, 02:00 AM