Boy Billed For Missing Friend’s B-Day Party

I remember when my parents were putting my High School graduation party together that they were worried about exactly how many people were showing up because the caterer calculated their price by plate.  Sure, I had some people that didn't show that said they would and we ended up taking home the left over food.  I would've been SO, SO embarrassed if they had done what this mom did!

Just before Christmas, 5-year-old Alex got invited to a school friend's snow tubing birthday party and told his parents how much he wanted to go.  Dad confirmed Alex's RSVP as a yes.  Unfortunately, his dad later realized that he'd arranged for Alex and his sister to spend the day with their grandparents the same day as the party in the mountains.  When the day rolled around Alex admitted he would rather go on the day trip with his grandparents, but dad didn't have any contact information for the birthday boy's family.  Instead of changing the RSVP to a no, Alex simply no-showed.

When the new term at school started a few days later, his parents were shocked and appalled that a brown envelope stuffed in Alex's backpack contained an invoice from the birthday boy's mom.

She is charging the Nash family the US equivalent of a $24 "Child No Show Fee."  Of course Alex's parents were sympathetic and felt bad about him missing the party, but are choosing NOT to pay the boy's mother the $24 because of the way she went about it.  At this time, the mother in charge of the birthday party is threatening to take the Nash family to small claims court.  Her child also refuses to play with Alex at school now.

Parents, I understand that children's birthday parties are expensive.  (I think between my sister and I, my parents probably funded the local bowling alley in our hometown by paying for our birthday parties year after year.)  BUT...is this taking it too far?