Mongue v. The Wheatleigh Corporation

**Worker Wins Pay for Services Despite Unwritten Agreement** In Mongue v. The Wheatleigh Corporation, a worker provided services to someone based on a verbal promise that they would be paid through that person's will when they died. However, when the person passed away, the worker wasn't compensated as promised. The worker sued The Wheatleigh Corporation to recover payment for their work. The company likely argued they didn't owe anything because the original agreement was only verbal and couldn't be legally enforced under state laws that require certain contracts to be in writing. The court sided with the worker, awarding $2,800. While the judge agreed the verbal promise about payment through a will couldn't be enforced, they ruled the worker deserved compensation for the actual value of services they performed. The court used a legal principle that prevents employers from benefiting from someone's work without paying them fairly. **What this means for workers:** Even when a promised payment arrangement falls through or proves legally unenforceable, you may still be able to recover fair compensation for work you've already completed. Courts can order payment based on the reasonable value of your services, protecting workers from being left empty-handed after providing legitimate work.