Can a business give your boss personal financial information?

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lawstudent86

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My aunt just called me and asked for advice about a situation she is dealing with, and I need help answering her question. She works for a real estate company in Virginia and her husband works in North Carolina, so they are both back and forth a lot since they have to live apart. Recently her step daughter was married and the owner of the real estate company where she works referred her to their florist with instructions to use the owners name when doing business. My aunt ended up using the florist and the final bill was due this past Friday. She was going to leave work and go pay the bill on her way home. Her boss ended up offering her a few hours off so that she could leave early and see her husband for the weekend. My aunt unfortunately in her excitement forgot to pay the florist on Friday. Come monday morning the florist sent her a nasty email informing her about the bill and that she should not "throw" her bosses name around. The florist also copied my aunts boss on the email. So, the florist disclosed personal financial information to my aunts boss putting her in possible trouble at work. My aunt did forget to pay her bill and she was irresponsible, however instead of dealing with her the florist vindictively attached her bosses name on the email as retribution for the late payment. Did the florist break some kind of law by attaching her boss to the email? Help would be much appreciated!! Thanks
 
My aunt just called me and asked for advice about a situation she is dealing with, and I need help answering her question. She works for a real estate company in Virginia and her husband works in North Carolina, so they are both back and forth a lot since they have to live apart. Recently her step daughter was married and the owner of the real estate company where she works referred her to their florist with instructions to use the owners name when doing business. My aunt ended up using the florist and the final bill was due this past Friday. She was going to leave work and go pay the bill on her way home. Her boss ended up offering her a few hours off so that she could leave early and see her husband for the weekend. My aunt unfortunately in her excitement forgot to pay the florist on Friday. Come monday morning the florist sent her a nasty email informing her about the bill and that she should not "throw" her bosses name around. The florist also copied my aunts boss on the email. So, the florist disclosed personal financial information to my aunts boss putting her in possible trouble at work. My aunt did forget to pay her bill and she was irresponsible, however instead of dealing with her the florist vindictively attached her bosses name on the email as retribution for the late payment. Did the florist break some kind of law by attaching her boss to the email? Help would be much appreciated!! Thanks

No, the florist violated no law in attempting to collect a debt.
It was, your aunt after all, that volunteered her boss' particulars when originally placing her order.
I suspect the use of her boss' name gave her preferential treatment (and/or pricing).

What surprises me is that you would think the florist violated a law in copying the boss on the email in attempting to collect a debt.
What would lead you to believe that the florist did anything illegal?

When reaching any legal conclusion (or forming a legal opinion) follow the facts.
Consider only the known or the actual.
It is a rule of thumb, but it will often assist you in deriving or determining a legal conclusion.
 
OP, as a student of the law, you need to make sure you're asking the correct question.

You asked: "Can a business give your boss personal financial information?"

The answer to that is, OF COURSE THEY CAN.

But, the question and its answer offers little (if anything) of a probative nature.

It simply asks if someone (in this case a business entity) CAN do a certain thing.

This question is akin to asking, "Can I rob a bank?"

Of course I can rob a bank.

But, is that question probative?

Do you grasp my point?

Two of the most important skills a lawyer (even a layperson) should possess is asking questions and properly answering questions.
 
The debt was three days late and was a small percentage of the already paid amount. Maybe it is simply my Christian nature, but I would not have been so harsh and vindictive. Seems to me that the florist wrote the email, which contained slander, as a punishment instead of calling her or emailing her personally. If they had done this she would have apologized for letting it slip her mind and rushed the check over to their office. Now she is facing problems at work, because someone does not know how to behave like an adult or run a business with integrity. I am not saying that she was not at fault, she was very irresponsible. I just do not simply understand how her payment being three days late is any of her bosses business especially since she did not receive any preferential treatment or a discount. If someone is late on their electric bill, last time I checked the electric company does not call up that persons boss. Employers are not our "life coaches," and if they were our financial police, collection agencies would be out of business.
 
The debt was three days late and was a small percentage of the already paid amount. Maybe it is simply my Christian nature, but I would not have been so harsh and vindictive. Seems to me that the florist wrote the email, which contained slander, as a punishment instead of calling her or emailing her personally. If they had done this she would have apologized for letting it slip her mind and rushed the check over to their office. Now she is facing problems at work, because someone does not know how to behave like an adult or run a business with integrity. I am not saying that she was not at fault, she was very irresponsible. I just do not simply understand how her payment being three days late is any of her bosses business especially since she did not receive any preferential treatment or a discount. If someone is late on their electric bill, last time I checked the electric company does not call up that persons boss. Employers are not our "life coaches," and if they were our financial police, collection agencies would be out of business.

Christian, Hindi, Jewish, or any other religious teaching or philosophy have nothing to do with decisions founded in teh law.

I answered your question based upon legal reasoning as an attorney.

If you disagree, advise your aunt to sue the florist.

She'll lose, because she has no case based on the law.

But, she sure as heck has the right to sue.
 
Actually, the law is founded on Christian principles in this country, since that is the religion of our four fathers. Ill be praying for you and your corrupt field of work since you obviously do not know our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for afirming my decision to leave law school and finish my doctorate in clinical psychology so that I can actually make a difference in peoples lives.
 
Actually, the law is founded on Christian principles in this country, since that is the religion of our four fathers. Ill be praying for you and your corrupt field of work since you obviously do not know our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for afirming my decision to leave law school and finish my doctorate in clinical psychology so that I can actually make a difference in peoples lives.


FOCUS.

This isn't a religious discussion. And quit insulting an entire profession of people whose help YOU are likely going to need in the future.
 
Actually, the law is founded on Christian principles in this country, since that is the religion of our four fathers. Ill be praying for you and your corrupt field of work since you obviously do not know our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for afirming my decision to leave law school and finish my doctorate in clinical psychology so that I can actually make a difference in peoples lives.

Good luck.
 
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