A Texas wedding venue refused to return nearly $16,000 to a devastated bride-to-be after her fiancé died suddenly, instead suggesting she could use the money toward another celebration in the future.
The dispute erupted after Diego Hernandez, 25, died unexpectedly in April, seven months before he was due to marry his fiancée at Posey Meadows, a picturesque countryside venue outside San Marcos, southwest of Austin.
Rather than refund the $15,909.28 the couple had already paid, the business initially offered alternatives, including to transfer the reservation to another date or to put the money toward an entirely different event.
When the grieving family asked for their money back, the disagreement escalated into a bitter legal battle, with the venue even filing a countersuit against the woman whose wedding had been shattered by tragedy.
The business has now backed down, dropping its counterclaim and agreeing to refund every penny - but only following a wave of negative publicity.
The dramatic reversal comes after Hernandez's heartbroken mother, Lucy Hernandez, publicly condemned the venue's handling of the ordeal.
'Where are their morals? Where are their moral principles?' she asked KSAT.
'We don't have a fight in us. We don't. We're emotionally drained. This is just weighing heavily.'
The couple had been preparing to exchange vows on November 20 at Posey Meadows, a wedding destination set amid the rolling countryside of Hays County.
Diego Hernandez is pictured proposing to his fiancée before his sudden death at just 25. The couple had been due to marry in November, but their wedding plans ended in tragedy
Diego, 25, died unexpectedly in April, seven months before his planned wedding. His grieving fiancée was forced into a legal battle over nearly $16,000 paid toward their big day
Their plans came to a devastating halt when Hernandez died in late April, leaving his fiancée mourning the man she had expected to spend the rest of her life with.
His family contacted the venue to explain that the wedding could no longer take place and requested the return of the substantial deposit that had already been made.
But rather than hand the money back, venue owner Julie Campbell instead put forward several possible alternatives.
She suggested the family could move the booking to another date, or the money could be credited toward a different kind of gathering.
Campbell also indicated that some money might be returned if the venue succeeded in securing another customer for the couple's original wedding date.
For Hernandez's grieving relatives such proposals only added to the stress and offered little comfort.
His mother said she had initially expected the situation to be resolved with a straightforward telephone conversation.
'I'm very surprised,' she told KSAT. 'I honestly felt that it wasn't going to go past a phone call.'
Posey Meadows, a picturesque wedding venue outside San Marcos, Texas, initially refused to refund the couple's $15,909.28 payment
Diego's heartbroken mother, Lucy Hernandez, spoke out against the venue's handling of the dispute, questioning its 'morals' and 'moral principles'
Instead, she described a particularly distressing exchange with Campbell in early May, shortly before she was due to see her son's body for the final time.
According to Lucy, the discussion became heated and ended with Campbell telling her the wedding payments would not be returned.
The confrontation added another painful burden to a family already struggling with an unimaginable loss.
'I've planned other funerals. I've lost my mom and my dad and a brother, but planning a son's funeral is very different,' Lucy said. 'It weighs very different.'
By late June, the disagreement had become serious enough for an attorney representing Hernandez's fiancée to send the venue a formal demand for repayment.
When that failed to resolve the dispute, the woman filed a lawsuit in Hays County district court in late July.
Her legal complaint accused Posey Meadows of securing an 'unjust and ghoulish windfall built on a young man's death.'
But the venue responded with legal action of its own.
Posey Meadows filed a counterclaim alleging that the bride-to-be had breached the wedding contract by seeking to recover the money already paid while refusing to hand over the remaining balance.
The contract stipulated that payments would be forfeited in the event of cancellation.
It did not contain any specific provision addressing what would happen if either member of the couple died before the wedding.
The venue also raised questions about whether Hernandez's death had been adequately documented.
In its counterclaim, Posey Meadows alleged that the family had failed to supply proof of his passing.
The business initially suggested the money could be used toward a future booking or another event rather than refund the deposits which. had already been made
On Facebook many people appeared to have left negative reviews highlighting the story
The family say they offered to provide a death certificate before litigation began but received no response from the venue's legal representatives.
As the controversy attracted mounting attention, Posey Meadows insisted it had been attempting to resolve the situation compassionately.
In an October 16 statement, the business said it had previously granted full refunds to families facing similar tragedies, regardless of the terms of their contracts.
'Our company was heartbroken to learn of a private and tragic situation involving a couple scheduled to be married at our wedding venue,' it said.
The business maintained that it was already working toward a refund when the lawsuit arrived, adding that litigation had complicated the process.
On Wednesday, an attorney for the bride-to-be confirmed that she would be receiving a full refund.
In a lengthy statement, Posey Meadows defended its handling of the dispute, saying it had sought official confirmation of Hernandez's death before making an exception to its cancellation policy.
'Our thoughts continue to be with Diego's family and loved ones, and we extend our deepest condolences,' the venue said.
It claimed the family had been asked for a death certificate in early May but that the document did not arrive until mid-August, after legal proceedings had begun.
While waiting, the business said it had searched for an obituary, funeral announcement or other publicly available confirmation of his death.
'Our efforts were never meant to diminish the family's loss,' the statement continued.
'We regret that the litigation process has complicated what we hoped would be a speedy and compassionate resolution.'
The venue also confirmed it was no longer seeking additional money from the grieving woman.