I took pal to small claims court and she won case by lying to the judge
DEAR DEIDRE: I TOOK my friend to the small claims court to get back the money she borrowed – and she won the case by lying to the judge.
My husband died in an accident at work, when he fell off a roof.
He had life insurance so our mortgage was paid off and there was compensation. Money hasn’t been a big concern.
When I became a widow, this friend was there for me. We are both 36.
So when she needed to get away from her abusive boyfriend, I lent her money to set up on her own.
She promised to pay me back £100 a month.
But we had a row over a function we were organising and she wouldn’t speak to me. The repayments stopped.
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When I took her to the small claims court, she lied, telling the judge the money was a gift. He took her side.
She owes me thousands of pounds. I don’t know how she sleeps at night.
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DEIDRE SAYS: You know what was agreed between you and this was a loan. But without anything in writing, it is difficult to prove.
You can appeal to the small claims court as long as it’s within 21 days – but only if you think they made an error.
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It is tough but try to put it down to experience and move on.
You can find emotional support through the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, (, 01455 883300).