Can I claim back this money from an ex friend?

skroob

Hi all.. Long time lurker, but first poster.

Just after some advice really

about 7 years ago my daughter, her boyfriend, their daughter, my partner and I all went on a caribbean cruise for 2 weeks. Before we went it was agreed that I would put my credit card as the 'holiday' one, which would be paid back over time after the holiday, and so all onboard ship purchases went on there. over the next 7 years a couple of other sums of money got added on to my daughter and her then fiancee's bill. All told they owed me about £300.

Recently my daughter and her partner split, so they agreed to split the bill in half between them meaning her ex now owes me about £150, but he is refusing to pay it. Nothing was ever written down about an arangement and I never expected them to split so was never in a hurry to get the money back. Am I out of luck getting this back? is it worth taking him to small claims court? just some help and/or advice would be great pls.

shopaholic2

I'm sorry but you're gonna most likely have to write this off. £150? It's not a huge amount in the grand scheme of things, nothing written down means he will claim you were being kind and ' treating' them. And as for small claims court.....it'll cost you more than it's worth. There's still no guarantee he'd pay then.
Don't mean to be harsh but you've no chance unless he feels a moral duty to pay you back.

Gordon_Hose

You could use the small claims court, but you would have to prove beyond a show of a doubt that he borrowed that money.

Unfortunately it'll be your word against his.

poppasmurf_bewdley

If the ex-boyfriend is tight about this £150 with prospective family, then count yourself lucky your daughter has broken up with the bloke before she married him. Write off the money and put it down to experience.

skroob

How much does small claims court cost then? (can you tell I've not done this before?? )

And if i were to go to court, my daughter would be willing to state that it was agreed that the money would be paid back.

gb12345

skroob wrote: »

And if i were to go to court, my daughter would be willing to state that it was agreed that the money would be paid back.

Hearsay and she's hardly an independent person is she - the judge is likely to ignore anything she has to say (if she's even allowed to have a say in small claims).

It will be down to a judge to decide based on the balance of probability whether you lent or gifted the ex-bf the money. Could go either way and totally depends on the judge on the day.

opinions4u

Even if you win in the small claims court there is no guarantee of ever seeing the money again.

Let it go. He's a **** and he's proved it.

StuC75

That could also be said back to the OP in this case, £150 over 7 years..

could be explained as being treated over the years. buying drinks, things bought for them over the years.. Was it really implied as being a loan to them?

Was things seriously 'put onto there Bill' over the 7 years?

So your Daughter paid up her Share then? or is it only been pursued against the Ex?

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

If the ex-boyfriend is tight about this £150 with prospective family, then count yourself lucky your daughter has broken up with the bloke before she married him. Write off the money and put it down to experience.

Gordon_Hose

Indeed. The OP would also have to prove that the money wasn't a gift.

cynicalgit_2

Sometime ago I lived in a small town with a number of amenable hostilities.
At one I frequented I became friendly with a local drinker and part_time picture framer.
Most days taking pity on him I would buy him a pint of beer.
After time he asked to borrow £500 to pay his suppliers.I lent him £200 as that was all I was prepared to risk.
Despite requests the money was not repaid and I subsequently discovered that he'd pulled this scam before.
Being a small place I blanked him and realised that not buying him the daily pint saved me £600 per year!!!
Moral of the story is not to lend money you can't afford to lose.
Write the money off and move on!

lynz68

Do you genuinely want the money back or is it just a way of getting back at your daughters ex-partner?

Has your daughter paid back her £150?

It is obviously going to be asked why it has taken you 7 years to ask for your money back?

Your chances of getting this money back is slim to none. Even if the judge found in your favour does not mean he will actually pay it back it would ultimately cost you far more money to persue this debt than just to let it go.