Just after a bit of advice really. I lent someone who was a friend 50 pound as she was struggling 8 weeks ago. We no longer speak and she is refusing to pay me back the money I lent her and is now ignoring completely. Is there anyone I can speak to who can help get my money back. It might not seem like a lot but I am a single mother with a 5 month old baby and do not get much per month

I would go to your local police station and ask them were you stand on getting your money back.

CAB should be able to advise further, but I think the Small Claims Court will be your only route and will initially cost you £35. If you win she'll have to pay your costs, if she wins you'll have to pay her's.

Unless you have an independent witness, or other proof that it was a loan, she may try to claim it was a gift or payment.

This is my problem. Everyone who knows I lent her the money is her family and would obviously side with her

Has she sent you any texts or emails or left voice mail that would prove she asked to borrow the money?

The money was to buy a new tv unit which she chose and bought in argos. Would the fact that it was paid on my card help in any way?

No it was all done face to face as she's my baby's aunt

As I don't want to get your hopes up, nor put you off, I'll reitterate the suggestion of dropping down to the Citizens Advice. They'll be able to advise you much better than I can.

I don't think that there is anything you can do as it's your word against theirs. I've also been in the same situation.

Write it off and move on.
She can't be much of a mate so no loss there.

If you bought the unit and it was on your card then you are the owner of it, which does change things slightly, as now you can prove that the transaction actually took place.

If you never want to speak to here again what you could do is to go to her house with a friend and ask the police to attend, to prevent a breach of the peace, they wont help you, and collect your goods (make sure you have the receipt).

She will either let you take it (which is better than you have now), scream out that she'll pay you back (in which case you now have witnesses to the debt), or say that it's not yours (in which case you can then say, in front of the police, that the Argos CCTV will show her with you when you bought it).

Things can get tricky, but don't go down on your own and make sure you get the police to attend as when you have asked her about it before she has been "threatening", and all you want them there for is to prevent a breach of the peace.

Depends how far you want to go, you could get a solicitors letter sent to her and see if that spurs her on to pay you back,

Some solicitors do a freebie consultation but once they start writing letters it would cost you, but they will give you best advice.

sad her lending money and not payn you it back hope she has bad look

This seems wrong which ever way i look at it. You being a single mum who is on a low income & hard up herself, can afford to loan out £50 to somebody else, also "struggling" to buy a TV stand! You can obviously afford to write it off after this amount of time, so better to learn by a mistake, and not be so gullible to "friends" who aren't quite as hard up and true as they make out. By the way. Any chance of a £50 sub so i can go on the Razz!

That seems a pretty heartless way of looking at things when someone has gone out their way to help a friend and been sh£t all over.

Prat!

Id forget about it, clearly she has done you a favour by showing u what a really good friend she was for the small fee of £50....it could have been alot worse. We all get taken for mugs in life, best you learn now rather than later for alot more money

Don't forget to make sure everyone knows what has happened, cut off her future revenue supply, ensure others don't get taken.

Unfortunately i cant afford to write it off. The money I lent her was out of my child tax credits which is technically my baby's money. I must point out that she is also a single mum with 2 children but she gets double the money I get. I am having to borrow money off my parents to buy things like nappies at the moment which is really getting me down that I can't even afford the simple things which my baby needs.

Her family all know what has happened but say they will not get involved. All my friends know what has happened and some of my family. And the way she screamed at me outside her house the day she threw all my stuff outside in the garden when I was on my way to pick it up (including my laptop) i'm sure some of the neighbours will have picked up on it too.

Just out of interest what are her reasons for not wanting to pay you back?

Why was the 'tv stand' vital?

Probably to put the 50" led 3D hd tv on

Its morally wrong how your so called friend treated you, Jen.

The part I'm confused about if this person is on more money because they have one more child whats that got to do with lending someone money but if you have a lower income there wouldn't be any spear money to lend out as you say it's out the kids tax credits and you need nappies etc so it's to important to and why did they have to lend it for a tv stand isn't important like food, gas nappies et that person souns selfish, only thing I can say no receipt of a loan agreement nothing can be done, motto of this story is you don't lend money out unless it's immediatle family

Hello Jen8508 I say Karma, June

She got dumped on the morning of her wedding and he was taking the tv and stand so I lent her the money for a new stand so she could put the tv from the bedroom downstairs for the kids. She has no reasons for not paying me back the money she owes. She tried saying I owed her money but backed down very quickly on that one after I told her I'd paid the money I owed her months before in front of her parents.

All very odd.

Jen,

First things first...dont ever lend money to anyone again, even be wary about your immediate family too. Once burned is enough.

Secondly, I understand that your a single mum and struggling, however your possibly on more money (including rent paid for etc) than most working people on this site that have children (assuming you dont work, if you do my apologies)...I don't mean to sound horrible, but these are my views...

Personally if it's been 8 weeks and she is showing no signs of paying you back...cut your losses and move on. If your on benefits, go and get yourself a crisis loan..they take it out of your benefits each lot of money and you dont even realise they are taking it.

Your friend obviously isn't a friend...who needs enemies when you have friends like that. Move on chick, else your going to make yourself very unhappy.

I hope it all works out for you.

Harsh but fair xxxx

No I'm not working at the minute as I'm looking after my baby and I don't get maternity pay from my job as I was working as a supply teacher for an agency which lost the contract with the wirral.

Overreacting much? Well I guess we know someone pissed you off in the past.



This. Forget about it, move on. If you gifted it to her, and you have no proof that you didn't, you're SOL.

If you lend a friend £20 and never see them again then it's the best £20 you ever spent.

Yes that`s the best answer

Stealing my thunder

Yes Jen, Nikki is right. Some people will never pay you back.When I was eighteen, I paid a friend's air fare to Ireland and never got paid back despite alot of effort. My dad said he was sorry it had happened, but it was a good lesson in life and to never lend money again.
There is much wisdom in the saying' Never a borrower or a lender be'.

Yes, I have given money to people, sometimes as a gift, sometimes in the hope they will pay me back, but never thinking or relying on the return of the money.

If bad things happen to me I have learn't to move on as peace of mind is one of the most important things in life.

Have been a single parent myself without money in my pocket and it's hard, so I wish you all the best and a really happy future.
You find out whom you can trust, and also those who cruise through life just using other people.
Sometimes it is a question of discernment and trouble is avoided but so often you get taken for a ride and it hurts.
Perhaps with me they see the word 'mug' written on my forehead, but sometimes you are the one who has to stand in the gap.