Newport News couple learns they were never legally married 26 years after ceremony

[underpants]

https://www.wavy.com/news/strange/newport-news-couple-learns-they-were-never-legally-married-26-years-after-ceremony/

This past May, Valerie went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get an updated Virginia driver’s license but was told she needed her marriage license due to her maiden name being on her social security card.

A concerned phone call to William and a letter to Richmond’s vital statistic’s record-holders later — the couple would learn their marriage license was never filed.

Which is why the couple gathered Thursday, 26 years ago to the day, and said those vows for a second time. Some faces who were there for the original wedding are no longer with us today, but still with family members in spirit.

“We’re gonna hand take it down to the courthouse to make sure that it gets there,” the couple said together.

[Beetwasher.]

1. Meh, Recycled Sitcom Plot

Lazy writing.

[USALiberal]

6. Lol, how about you rewrite it and post it here! Nt

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. Kind of wonder why she never changed her name with SS.

It's enormously simpler not to change your last name. Really.

Despite my screen name, I'm female. But we'll go with "Poindexter Oglethorpe" here. In over 25 years of marriage and two children (who had their father's surname, we'll call it Sutherland) there was once and only once that having a different last name was an issue. It went like this: We'd had dinner out, and my husband left his credit card at the restaurant. The next day, when he realized that, he called the restaurant, they confirmed they had it, and he said he'd send his wife over to pick it up since he worked some 40 miles away and I was a lot closer. When I got there, and said I was to claim "James Sutherland's" credit card, they understandably asked for ID. Of course what I had said "Poindexter Oglethorpe", and equally understandably they didn't want to give me the card. I thought for a bit, then realized I had my checkbook with me. It had both names, plus the address on my license. They were then happy to give me the card.

I do realize the real point of this story has to do with the marriage license not being filed which could seriously impact things like Social Security down the road.

[jimfields33]

3. Can you imagine if they get a IRS audit? They owe tens of thousands if not more.

[Celerity]

4. Yes, they are likely in deep shit, as VA doesn't recognise common law marriages, which would

have gotten them off the hook with the IRS IF it did recognise them.




http://www2.csudh.edu/rmalamud/2-38.htm

Common law marriages are recognized for federal income tax purposes if they are recognized by the state in which the taxpayers reside. If the taxpayers later move to a state which does not recognize common law marriages, they are still considered married for federal income tax purposes.

[Ms. Toad]

5. There are often laws to retroactively recognize

marriages that failed for some reason (one member too young; forged parental consent for a young marriage, non-compliance with the formalities) as long as they are later ratified.

I don't know if New Jersey falls into this category or not. (I just teach a smidgen of family law - and a marriage invalid at its start for a technicality but later ratified is one variation of family law questions which appear on bar exams.)

[Celerity]

7. I hope for their sake they can get it sorted, some racist Trumper may rat them out for spite