I booked (put a deposit down) an event at a banquet hall and thirteen days later, they notified me that there had been a double booking erro...

Question

I booked (put a deposit down) an event at a banquet hall and thirteen days later, they notified me that there had been a double booking error and that the date wasn't available. Of course I was given my deposit back, and offer to choose another date, but I want to know can I hold them responsibe for the difference in the cost of their venue vs. the cost of another venue?

Answer

I'd say offhand that the answer is probably yes; this sounds like a breach of contract by the banquet hall, and "cost to cover" (find and acquire replacement goods or services) is a fairly standard measure of damages for breach. Ther banquet hall may have defenses, e.g., the replacement vanue is different and better, not the same article, but the principle holds. Also, you need to weigh in the cost and hassle of a lawsuit -- is it worth it, even in Small Claims?