A "friend" has owed me $500 for over a year now and keeps promising to pay me back but never does. What to do?
I have a signed document of the loan. I'm considering legal action but I don't want to spend more time and money if it's not worth it. What should/can I do?
Answers:
the first thing a judge will do is ask if the loan was contractual or by handshake? if he signed a document saying he agreed to pay you back by a certain date, I think small claims court will rule in your favor, but first, if this is a friend, offer him or her to pay in installments, and if they show no interest, then they are not your friend and let the court recover your money, your friend wil have to pay court cost.
Go to small claims court.hey if you go to People's Court or Judge Joe Brown, they pay your court fees if you win.
File a small claims suit, you do not need a lawyer and it is going to cost you the filing fee and a day off work.
...what did you do to not get paid?Do you owe him/her and your not acknowledging it?
small claims court..
SMALL CLAIMS COURT. IT DOESN'T COST MUCH.
Write it off. Don't obsess over it. A friend owes me $5000. Both the friend and the money are long gone. If you have the debt in writing you can write it off on your taxes. You can also take the friend to small claims court...its fairly cheap to do that, but you're going to need documentation.
Contact the local clerk of courts to determine what the process is for filing a civil suit in small claims court.
You probably won't need an attorney, but you will have to pay to have your "friend" served with the summons. Make sure that you take the proper steps to recoup that money and court costs as well.
It'll probably cost you at least that much to recoup the loan. Decide what's more important to you, the friendship or the principle of the loan. It's best never to loan a friend money that you expect to see back. Don't say anything about it, but stop counting on that money coming in, and remember that this friend doesn't repay his debts.
sue him
Take them to The People's Court.
pay him a friendly visit, make small talk, and wait for him to offer you a cold drink in a glass. Start drinking the drink, and keep making small talk and stay away from any hint that you want your money back...and then.just when you are about half way through the drink, make sure you are within a couple of feet from him and facing him as you talk.still smiling and being cheerful.. and. from out of nowhere..WHAM !! SUDDENLY AND MOST VIOLENTLY SMASH THE GLASS OF WATER OR JUICE, OR BEER OR WHATEVER UPSIDE HIS HEAD..spilling drink and glass all over his bleeding forehead. Then grab him by the neck and kick him in the nuts and throw him to the ground after punching him in the solar plexes. Then step over to him,and say its time for him to cut the crap, and that you want your money right now. OR NEXT TIME YOU AINT GONNA BE SO NICE.
I once gave my son some advice - "Never lend friends or family money without knowing that you will never see a cent of it repaid. If you, by some chance, DO get repaid you should consider it a bonus".
If you've already taken the obvious steps like simply speaking with your "friend" directly and honestly without hostility or accusations, then legal steps should be taken. By simply going to that step it may show the "friend" that you are serious. How far you take the legal process is up to you.
You have 2 options:
1. Take the friend to court and get the money back.
2. Write off the money
When you loan someone money, you hjust have to know that it might not come back. The bottom line is, the friendship was worth $500 to your friend . . what was it worth to you?
I would go to him one more time with the signed document and tell him of your intent. Explain to him that you really don't want to go to small claims court or ruin the friendship. However, he is really the one putting a strain on the friendship by not taking care of this debt. You should not be made to feel guilty. He needs to take responsibility for his own actions. I have heard (don't quote me on this) that if you sue him you can add court costs to your case. If you win your case, he will have to pay back the money he owes you and the court costs as well. Good luck.
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