I'm pretty sure that in some states, like California, verbal agreements are protected by law. If he admits to the verbal agreement in court he's bound by it. I

I'm pretty sure that in some states, like California, verbal agreements are protected by law. If he admits to the verbal agreement in court he's bound by it. I don't know if this is true in New York. If they disagree and say they never made any such arrangement then they may be lying but then it's murkier.