(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

A B.C. woman has found out that just because someone accidentally transfers money into your bank account doesn't mean you can keep it.

The case involves Geometry Integrated Health which accidentally transferred $2,110 to Andrea Meier, who then refused to give the cash back.

The details are laid out in a June 9 Civil Resolution Tribunal decision after Geometry Integrated Health took legal action to try and recoup their money.

According to the decision, the company meant to send the money to a contractor but by mistake sent it to Meier.

Meier doesn't dispute that the company accidentally transferred the money but said it was their mistake and she was not obligated to give it back.

However, she was quite wrong.

The decision says Geometry Integrated Health contacted Meier several times and asked for the money back.

Meier in turn, filed a counterclaim, asking for $3,500, for "emotional distress and psychological harm" after the company asked for its money back.

Meier said the company threatened to contact the police and to contact current and past employers although she provided no evidence to back up the claim.

The company denied it.

She also provided no medical evidence she'd suffered emotional abuse.

In assessing whether Meier had to pay the money back, the Tribunal focuses on the law of "unjust enrichment," whether a third party is enriched at the expense of another.

Ultimately, the Tribunal ruled that Meier had been enriched to the tune of $2,110 and the company had suffered because of it.

The Tribunal ordered Meier to pay the $2,110 back, plus $5 interest and the $125 in court fees.

She's now left $130 worse off than if she'd just been fair and given the money back.

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