MovieChat Forums > The People's Court (1997) Discussion > Would you ever sue your close friend or ...

Would you ever sue your close friend or close family member?

posted 9 years ago by There-Can-Be-Only-One
8 replies | jump to latest

She goes on all the time about how stupid people are who loan money to their friends/family members/boyfriends/etc... and from her angle, I imagine why she would feel that way. But I have loaned money to basically all of my friends and family, and they have basically all loaned money to me. Not everyone has been good about paying it back, but it is what it is. Never once, not once, has the thought ever crossed my mind to sue them over it. I can't even imagine a scenario where I would.

Harvey asks the crowd outside if they would, and if they say 'no,' he keeps upping the amount until he reaches their breaking point. But the thing is, if I were actually in the position to loan that kind of money, then I still wouldn't sue to get it back. It sounds like a lot to us because most of us can't just loan someone 50k/100k/250k, like Harvey asks about, so some people are like "Okay yeah, for that amount I would sue." But it's all relative to what you can afford, and they're not thinking of it that way.

So what about you? Would you sue someone close to you? Or would you just never loan them money again? Or would you just shrug it off eventually?

[–] ggiroux3 9 years ago

I wouldn't sue a family member or close friend, but if I got burned by one of them it would be the last loan, and possibly the last contact depending on the circumstances. I'm not a very forgiving person.

[–] There-Can-Be-Only-One 9 years ago

Yeah, for sure. I'm not saying an unrepaid loan wouldn't break up a close relationship, I'm just saying I would never sue over it. And I am positively astonished over some of the low loan amounts that drive people to court. A family member suing another for like 200 bucks? What? I honestly can't even wrap my head around it.



[–] ggiroux3 9 years ago

I agree. :)

[–] DanaShelbyChancey 9 years ago

If it were any amount of money, like over $500, I would have them sign a paper, which would be very explicit about terms.

If they didn't repay, I would never loan them any amount ever again. But I probably wouldn't sue unless it was a high amount, which I don't have to loan, anyway.

[–] xenario_13 9 years ago

Loans are what credit cards and banks are for.

If I had an immediate family member who needed money I would give it to them because that is what family is for.

I have never given money to friends and if they ever asked me I would suggest they ask their family first.

[–] There-Can-Be-Only-One 9 years ago

I have always viewed close friends AS family, so I don't see any difference at all in whether I give/loan money to one or the other. In fact, if I were in a bind, and someone I considered my close friend told me what you tell your friends, I would seriously rethink how close of a friend they are. I have never understood the hangup some people have about blood relations. What the heck difference does blood make when it comes to relationships? (<--you don't have to answer that; it's rhetorical.)

[–] xenario_13 9 years ago

I said "family" not "blood". The word "family" is relative to what your situation is. If you consider close friends as family that is your prerogative. But that also implies that not every friend is a close a friend and therefore not every friend is family.

Anyway, my main point is that I do not loan money to people. If I see a family member in need then I will just give them the money if I have it. So I would never sue someone who didn't have the money to begin with for any money.

To me is makes no sense because if the person that you are supposed to care about needs money that they don't have, why give it to them now and then take it back later? If you do that you aren't giving them the chance to get ahead and improve their life.

[–] There-Can-Be-Only-One 9 years ago

Okay. I'm not trying to be contrary, but what you actually said was "immediate family member," which is a lot different than just saying "family." Immediate family member typically means either parents and siblings, or spouse and children.

But I hear what you're saying: you don't loan money to anyone. You either give it to them, no strings, or you don't. Either way, you don't sue them. It's probably not a bad practice.