What would you do?

[mcantar18c]

In a bit of a predicament... need some advice. I'm hoping a LEO can chime in on this.

So, a friend wanted a rifle a while back, but was unemployed at the time and was a couple hundred short on it. (Before I go further, he's an ex-Marine and 100% legal to own a gun). Anyway, he put in a little over $100, and I spotted him the other $200. I also loaned him a scope till he could get his own, which he still has mounted on the gun. He was a pretty good friend who'd always been true to his word in the past, something he placed a lot of stock on, so I agreed without putting much thought into it and didn't bother getting any kind of written agreement, and him and I agreed that he'd pay me back as soon as he was able to. This was late March/early February, and he's been working since late February with very little time off. The first time I contacted him about it, think it was mid last month, he said to be patient and he'd "do what he can when he can." Since then I've been seeing posts on Facebook like "who wants to hit the bar tonight?" and such, and hearing mutual friends saying he didn't seem to have any trouble paying for himself and sometimes others when they went out. I've tried contacting him multiple times in the past couple weeks, I've only been able to get him to respond to a text message last week and on Facebook tonight and in those two cases he responded once and nothing further, basically telling me to go pound sand. I'm at the end of my rope with him and am running out of options. If I show up to his house, he'll ask me to leave and then I'm on his property uninvited and I have no doubt that would get ugly quick. I'd confront him at his work but his job sites vary from week to week and are usually restricted access.

Being as its only a verbal agreement and he has some money into it, I can't claim it as stolen property. I don't see any other legal option left, and while it wouldn't be difficult to just go take it back I don't know if there would be any legal repercussions for me even if I own most of it.
Any suggestions?

[spyder]

It sounds like you are screwed unless you have somthing with your signature on it. Your word against his at this point.

[bobbyfairbanks]

There is a old rule that if you loan your friend money and want to stay friends consider it a gift. If you get the money back then hey you are lucky but who cares.

[Elhuero]

you are screwed.

you could take him to court, but there's no contract, only verbal agreement, your word vs. his.

confronting him will just cause a fight, so just chalk it up to a loss, tell everyone you know that he's a lowlife, and move on.

or a brick thru his window should even things out.

[Byte Stryke]

There is a old rule that if you loan your friend money and want to stay friends consider it a gift. If you get the money back then hey you are lucky but who cares.

Friends and Relatives.

[flan7211]

Happened to me a few years back. Don't loan money and expect it back.

[mcantar18c]

Well, since I own 2/3 of the rifle (monetarily speaking), and the scope, wouldn't that make it more mine than his?

[bobbyfairbanks]

sure good luck proving that. How much money do you have invested into it? How much do you think it will cost to go to court over it.

[mcantar18c]

Not gonna go to court, not worth it and can't really afford it anyway.
I WILL get either the money he owes me or the rifle from him (if only out of principal), I'm just looking for a legal, or the most legal, way to do it without incurring any more losses on my part.
Gonna wait for a LEO or two to comment here before I do anything though.

[bobbyfairbanks]

It seems you are going to have to ask him for your stuff back and cover his money into it or ask him for your money back. What if he says no then what; steal it back from him by breaking into his house? If he doesn't want to talk to you maybe there is something else going on and he is embarrassed.

LEO please do not take offense.

LEO are not lawyers and cannot offer legal advice. In a lot of cases they give wrong advice from lack of understanding of the law or complete ignorance of the law. That is why LEO Officers will tell you to ask a Attorney not one of them.

If you feel the need to do something just try talking to the guy and give him a out that will allow him to save face.