Owed money!

Col_M

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Well it seems that everyone here doesn't mind a bit of a rant from time to time and i think now is my turn. It's a bit of a story...

Basically there is a guy who i've known since i was 11 who i sold a laptop in Jan 2004 for £200, he couldn't afford it all in one payment so i said he could pay it in 4 lots of £50, big mistake, i got the £50, then a £30 then nothing, i'm not really in contact with him much anymore but i've got his email and phone number, i keep on giving him reminders by txt and email, he says he'll pay me then it never appears. The last time a few weeks ago he said he'll write a cheque and pop it into my work during the week...nothing.

It's annoying because it was a verbal agreement for the £200 so i haven't really got any comeback, or have I? I have emails where he says he'll get me the £120.

I'm pretty shy and quiet so facing up to him isn't really something i'd do but then again maybe he thinks he can get away with it because of this. He's a bit of a social outcast constantly trying to get into positions of authority possibly maybe trying to get a little power over people to reverse this. He did train kids in outdoors navigation and hiking at my local school for a while but was banned from the premesis and got a telling off from the police for taking and discharging a blank firing pistol on Dartmoor while training a group of teenagers.

What has brought this to the surface is that today my mum after coming out of a shop ran into him, he was all friendly until my mum mentioned the money he owes me then he put his head down and walked away from my mum even after she shouted after him. This has p*ssed me off as walking away from my mum like that is just bloody rude :thumbsdown:

What would you do in my situation as i'm at a loss of what to do?
 
Small claims court. He doesn't care about friendship so why should you? Stuff him.
 
One last chance to him to pay up with a warning of what will happen next ... give him a reasonable time to make full and final ... 28 days might be deemed reasonable ... :thinking:

Then ... assuming non-payment ... small claims court ... no messing ... :naughty:

HTH ...:D






:p
 
Small claims court.

I was thinking about that but I'm not sure if the emails will be evidence enough to get it through. I'll probably see if i can get some advice from citizens advice whether it would carry in court. I thought i'd ask somewhere friendly and helpful first (here) to see if someone knows if it will hold up in court.

To be honest as soon as i get my money back i intend in telling him to stuff his head up his a** and keep away from me and my family.

Thanks guys :D
 
E-mails generally accepted as good as letters these days ... but you are right to seek advice ... :thumbs:

Good luck ... ;)





:p
 
Emails ARE considered to be legally binding. There was the Norwich Union lawsuit a few years ago - I think it was a libel case or something.

By the sounds of it, he wouldn't even turn up at small claims anyway - in whcih case he would automatcally lose the case
 
I know some quite handy people in Plymough, Col ;)
 
Sorry I cant say what to do, but the above seems like good advice.
I was in a similar situation a few years ago, I lent my friend £250 (or it might have been £500 - its that long ago I cant remember). Same story, he paid installments as per our agreement for a few months, then nowt since :annoyed: . I've given up asking a few years ago, but he's still a mate who I keep in touch with regularly - I must be a bit soft :( .
Still...one day he might win the lottery and remember my generosity ;)
 
My mum knows one of the senior training officers at his RMR unit, i don't know if letting him know would add a bit of extra external pressure. I know if he was a regular, telling an officer in his unit that he owes money could land him in a bit of hot water but i'm not sure if as a reserve he'll get as muchof a talking to.

Catdaddy, i'll keep it in mind ;)
 
I'd delete that if I were you, Col... Just in case. After all, it's not been proven in court or anything...
 
Emails are legal documents, I would recommend talking to your local citizens advice people. It won't cost anything and they may help.

Good luck
 
Emails are legal documents, I would recommend talking to your local citizens advice people. It won't cost anything and they may help.

Good luck

Yeah definately, thanks to everyone here i'm feeling a bit better knowing that emails are legal documents, it's an open and shut case as i have him blatantly admitting he owes me the money and the amount.

Thanks once again people :)
 
The advice here is all good. I think I'd take a slightly different route though myself.

I'd be round at his house (with a friend or two, just to make sure it all stays calm and in control) to collect the lap top back. I'd let him know that if he showed up in the next 3 weeks with the rest of the money then it's his.

If not then he can consider the £80 as payment for your trouble.
 
I know what i would do (used to be a bailiff) but its probably not the right thing to do, but i would try to get your stuff back before taking him to a small claims court, even if you come out winning he will probably say he has no money and go on a payment scheme which when i was bailiffing was about £4 a week which most of them stop paying anyway, most of my work was chasing up unpaid court fines.
 
I can see where you're coming from with respect to taking the laptop but it's going to be worth a lot less now than it was then, i'd rather have the money to be honest.

I know he can afford to pay me, he lives at home with his mum and has two incomes, he's not paying me out of choice. :bang:
 
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