What to Do About An Upaid Loan to A Staff Member?

[Chef Dave]

I have a problem.

I moved to Arizona last August and found that some unusually rainy weather had caused weeds to sprout in my yard. I did not bring a lawn mower with me because who would have thought that I would need a lawn mower in desert country?

A staff member at my school heard about my problem and offered to have her son mow my lawn for $20 a visit.

I agreed to the offer. A month passed and my lawn was never mowed. When I asked this person (I will call her "Lucy" which is not her real name), why my lawn had not been mowed, she told me that her lawn mower had broken down.

Since she was financially strapped for cash, she said she didn't know what she would do. Her son had other lawn mowing commitments but wouldn't be able to honor these commitments if he didn't have a lawn mower.

I offered to buy her a new lawnmower and said that her son could work it off by mowing my lawn for $20 per visit. She accepted this offer.

Two months passed. Nobody mowed my lawn. Every time I asked, she would give me a different excuse. She had been sick and needed her son to tend to her. Her son had been sick and had been unable to mow my lawn. She wanted to mow my lawn but had lost my address. She couldn't find my home. Her grandmother had a birthday celebration ...

I finally asked her to return my money. I gave her thirty days. I then went out and bought another lawnmower and was finally able to tend to my lawn.

Lucy apologized profusely. It has now been over 40 days and I still don't have my money.

What do you think I should do?

I never got my lawn mowed and the money was never repaid.

[mopar]

I would keep reminding her. You could seek legal action but not sure if it is worth the cost. Eventually, she will get sick of you asking for the money that she will repay you.

[Boxcar]

This is what I would do. I'd send her an e-mail saying that I would be picking up the lawnmower from her house on the weekend. If she tells you it is a bad time, insist that she pick a time. If she won't, I'd just show up at her house. Unless she is out of town, she will have to show up sometime that day. If worst comes to worst, I'd tell her to leave the mover outside and you'll come get it even if she isn't there.

Through all of this, I'd be really sweet. I'd act like I was doing her a favor by picking up the mower.

[teach1027]

Take her to court. A verbal contract is binding, she owes you either money or some mowed lawns.

[Chef Dave]

Thank you all for your replies but I'm going to write off the loan.

Although I could take her to court, I still have to work with her. Insofar as I'm new to this area and new to the school, I don't want to ruffle any feathers.

If I were to antagonize this person, she could start a whispering campaign against me. Right or wrong aside, she could make my life unnecessarily difficult ... so I'll write this loan off as a lesson learned ... never loan money to co-workers.

[kingrichie]

You know, that's a tough one. On one hand, you just want to say forget it. But on the other you're thinking, how can this person come to work everyday knowing their going to see me and feel akward.
Just throw a brick through thier window. No, no just kidding.
Karma

[busbus]

I have a problem.

I moved to Arizona last August and found that some unusually rainy weather had caused weeds to sprout in my yard. I did not bring a lawn mower with me...

A staff member at my school heard about my problem and offered to have her son mow my lawn for $20 a visit.

I agreed to the offer. A month passed and my lawn was never mowed. ...I asked this person ... why my lawn had not been mowed, she told me that her lawn mower had broken down.

I offered to buy her a new lawnmower and said that her son could work it off by mowing my lawn for $20 per visit. She accepted this offer.

Two months passed. Nobody mowed my lawn. Every time I asked, she would give me a different excuse.

...finally asked her to return my money. I gave her thirty days.

... It has now been over 40 days and I still don't have my money.

I never got my lawn mowed and the money was never repaid.
Just curious. Did you ever get your money even though you decided to take the loss? It has been over a year, how is your relationship with "Lucy?"

Have you ever witnessed "Lucy's" son mowing loans with the lawn mower that you paid for? :rolleyes:

[Chef Dave]

Just curious. Did you ever get your money even though you decided to take the loss? It has been over a year, how is your relationship with "Lucy?"

Have you ever witnessed "Lucy's" son mowing loans with the lawn mower that you paid for? :rolleyes:

I forgave the loan. And no - I have never observed her son mowing a lawn ...

No matter. What's done is done and I have no regrets.

[Bananas]

Writing it off and chalking this up to experience is about all you can really do, without anything in writing. Legal recourse would most likely result in "the principle of the thing" costing you more than the actual lawn mower.
As you mention, you have to work with this person and you are the new kid on the block. It would be your word against hers, and she could very well turn on her side of the story into something you wouldn't even begin to recognize.

Does she see herself as a victim usually?

[busbus]

I forgave the loan. And no - I have never observed her son mowing a lawn ...

No matter. What's done is done and I have no regrets.

You're right! It's water over the bridge! No sense in stressing about it! But, as the sayings go, "What goes around, comes around!" and, "Don't fret over spilt milk!"