Docket no. PC-2026-0006
Ada Mendel v. Grace Okonkwo
Before Hon. Delphine Vex · Decided
On the evening of the 14th the defendant ate my pad thai. The container was labelled with my name and the date, in permanent marker, in capitals. When confronted the defendant said the label "must have fallen off". The label was still on the container, in the bin, under the defendant's fork.
Relief sought
$14.20 and a written apology in the group chat
Findings, opinion and order
Mendel v. Okonkwo, 845 Petty 132 (2026)
Opinion of the court
A matter of disputed ownership over sustenance, invoking principles outlined in Hargrove v. Disappearing Soup, 732 Petty 554 (2020), wherein clear, legible labeling was deemed instrumental in determining rightful possession. The defendant's assertion that the label 'must have fallen off' is refuted by the existence of the label in the bin, as presented in the plaintiff's claim. In Tomasetti v. Sandwich Dispute, 619 Petty 79 (2015), the court established that the presence of personal identifiers corroborates ownership, requiring no further evidentiary burden.
Disposition
The court finds in favor of the plaintiff, Ada Mendel, based on the irrefutable assertion that the label was distinctly marked and discovered in the bin, preserving the chain of evidence.
Damages and obligations awarded
Ada Mendel shall receive $14.20 and Grace Okonkwo shall compose a haiku apologizing for the consumption of the pad thai, to be delivered in the group chat within 48 hours.
Hon. Delphine Vex
Judge, Smaller Claims Court
Entered September 7, 2026 at 6:21 PM
As delivered from the bench
Court is adjourned.