Alex Nash, a five-year-old boy from Plymouth, England, received a US$24 invoice for not attending a friend's birthday party. However, the seemingly laughable matter ended in a rather complicated dispute between Nash parents' and his friend's who sent him the bill, which, if not abated, could end up in court.

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Alex was really planning to join the party at a local ski resort in December but his parents had to cancel that because the child wanted to see grandparents that day. The boy's parents were not able to contact his friends' parents, so they were planning to apologize later.

However, to Alex's parents' surprise, the boy came home on Jan. 15 with an invoice dated Dec. 14 charging the boy with a "No Show Fee" for 15.95 pounds, or US$24.

"I thought it was a joke to begin with. I am lost for words," Alex's dad, Derek Nash told the Plymouth Herald. Nash then went to the birthday boy's home and told her mother he had no plans of paying.

The Daily Telegraph quickly picked a Facebook conversation between Alex's mother, Tanya, and the birthday boy's mom, Julie Lawrence.

"If I had known that I would have to pay if Alex did not go, then I would have paid you the money, no problem," Walsh wrote. "I do not like fighting with people, and would prefer to settle this amicably."

"I don't like fighting with people either, and was not best impressed when Derek turned up on my doorstep, and said you won't get any money out of me, rather rudely, I do admit it rattled me," Tanya replied.

Tanya then told Walsh that to amicably end the argument, they rather pay her the money "and let a lesson be learnt."

Walsh, of course, did not find that Lawrence's demand agreeable, who threatened to take the issue into court.

However, Clive Coleman, BBC's legal correspondent, explained that Lawrence would have a hard time collecting payment since no contract for the first place has been signed between the two parties.

TagsAlex Nash, five year old fined for not attending party