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[Twiggie]

I was the first tenant to move in last year so my landlady saddled me with sorting out the bills.
Me being 18 at the time, I paid them all myself and worked out what people owed me.
But at the end of July nobody paid me back, so I'm owed a total of £300 by two different people.
My landlady was mentally retarded or something and didn't take a deposit for them (though she did for me, wtf?), so that isn't an option.

I sent them both another email saying I'd have to take further action if I wasn't paid in full by the end of the week, but tbqh I have no idea what action I can take. So now I'm taking suggestions! I'm in the UK btw and I have emails from both of them saying they will pay me back.

[zombat]

I work for a bank (on the digital banking helpdesk so take this with a grain of salt).

This will likely be classed as a civil dispute, so the police won't generally get involved unless the amount is more than £10k.
Don't bother with banks, they're useless and won't do feck all.

You can try a solicitor, but the legal fees will probably cost most of that 300 quid, so it may not be worthwhile.

The only real option is what you've done, threaten them with legal action. You might get your money back if they dont call your bluff

[MonkeyHead]

Small claims court?

[Twiggie]

Ah well at least I'm not in a position where I actually need the money.

[DJ]

Sell the debt to people who know how to collect it. You can probably get 100-150 quid for it.

[ChairmanPoo]

Sell the debt to people who know how to collect it. You can probably get 100-150 quid for it.

But remember, some day, and that day may never come, they will call upon you to do a service for them. Until then consider it as a gift

[Max White]

Get in contact with their parents. They can more than likely afford it, and don't want their kids in court.

[Blargityblarg]

Yeah, a small claims tribunal should hopefully exist over there; we've got VCAT down under/in Victoria, and all they cost is about thirty bucks and the time you spend actually disputing.

[ed boy]

Get in contact with their parents. They can more than likely afford it, and don't want their kids in court.

I second getting in touch with their parents. You don't need to threaten them with with legal action, but you can ask them to put pressure on their children.

[timotheus]

What about setting up a payment plan?  Like, they pay you at least £50 a month until it is paid off.

So often people who borrow money want to pay it all back 'at once', but that hardly ever works.

Heh, I could write a whole new post on what I've learned from loaning money to friends. (All hard lessons.)

[zombat]

Lesson 1: never ever lend money to friends

[Azkanan]

Lesson Rule 1: never ever lend money to friends

I did some babysitting for my friend on the cheap, £20 for an all-nighter (Shes my age, loves to go partying, has a 2 year old (That's a whole different story)), it racked up to over £200.

Still waiting on that, 6+ months later.

However, I did borrow her some money recently, and from the last lesson, I tried something different.

Copy-paste the same text message ("I want my money back asap." or "So when are you going to give me my money back?") to them, every day, every hour that you can. Wake up in the night to send it to them, send it as late as you can and as early as you can. Drive them mad with it.

Failing that, I agree with the parents. If they're under 20-odd, then they're likely to still be suckling at their mother's teet. Mother will beat it out of them big time.

[BackgroundGuy]

Lesson Rule 1: never ever lend money to friends

However, I did borrow her some money recently, and from the last lesson, I tried something different.

Copy-paste the same text message ("I want my money back asap." or "So when are you going to give me my money back?") to them, every day, every hour that you can. Wake up in the night to send it to them, send it as late as you can and as early as you can. Drive them mad with it.

Failing that, I agree with the parents. If they're under 20-odd, then they're likely to still be suckling at their mother's teet. Mother will beat it out of them big time.

That sounds like an incredibly skillful way to ruin a friendship.  Why didn't you just go "ok, I'm not doing this again until I get some ££" at like, £100?   Just wondering in case I have to deal with this in the future.

[Azkanan]

Lesson Rule 1: never ever lend money to friends

However, I did borrow her some money recently, and from the last lesson, I tried something different.

Copy-paste the same text message ("I want my money back asap." or "So when are you going to give me my money back?") to them, every day, every hour that you can. Wake up in the night to send it to them, send it as late as you can and as early as you can. Drive them mad with it.

Failing that, I agree with the parents. If they're under 20-odd, then they're likely to still be suckling at their mother's teet. Mother will beat it out of them big time.

That sounds like an incredibly skillful way to ruin a friendship.  Why didn't you just go "ok, I'm not doing this again until I get some ££" at like, £100?   Just wondering in case I have to deal with this in the future.

I'd say the friendship is ruined as soon as the trust is broken, of them not giving you your money back.

Then again, I was in Debt because of her, so that may change the scenario, heh.

[Zrk2]

As resident Real Estate Master I vote in favour of making them pay it back a little at a time, only with interest added on.

And make sure to compound it monthly.