J. Austin Wilde and Bridget Ellen Engman wrote:

swhiddon@mail.viptx.net wrote:

I was reading about the laws concerning doweries.

I'm not sure if this is the same in Japan but I believe that once a dowery
is accepted by the groom's family a legal contract of marrige is created.

So maybe Ukyo should call a lawyer, If Genma can't produce her dowry (The
okonomiaki cart, the original, no substitutions) Ranma could be compeled to
marry her.

Actually, I believe you're right; the exchange of dowry gifts was the
formal engagement.  Ukyou has a good case, unless the Tendos can prove
that they also gave a dowry gift...

I doubt it.  Japan is a twentieth century nation.  Genma could be
tried and convicted of fraud without question (barring statute of 
limitations considerations), but Ranma would not be legally bound
by the marriage contract since Ranma did not consent to it (ignoring
age of consent considerations).  For the courts to force an unwilling
groom to marry on such a basis would be tantamount to slave trading.  
Apart from that, in the martial artist subculture of Ranma 1/2, 
resorting to courts and proxies would likely be beyond the pale
of acceptable conduct, in a odd reversal of the rules for normal
people.