Friend's situation

hi everyone,

I was just wondering what would be a good Christian approach to this situation that my friend is in.

so my friend B lent money to another friend D about 3 years ago because D had started a non-profit for high school kids theater where we made an extracurricular program so they could perform. I helped out with this as well.

the problem was, we did not do as well with fundraising as we had hoped and D still wanted to rent a big theater for the show despite the rest of us saying we should find s smaller venue. He just wouldn’t listen and none of us wanted to see the show go down thee drain after all out hard work so B eventually agreed to lend him the money. the problem is, he didn’t actually have the money so he made a credit card transaction.

D said he would pay him back right away but when the show was over, he didn’t. his parents also said B would get his money back first because they had also contributed but they then changed their minds and took their money back first. D had also told us that the show broke even which ended up being a lie, which we didn’t find out until about a year later.

D did give B back a sum once, but it’s been so long that it’s basically moot since the credit card keeps piling up interest. and we also found out that D has been frauding numbers on his documents which he sends to the government. B and I have both since quit the organization because we don’t want to be involved anymore.

B finally got a bit irritated and gave D a deadline for his money which was the end of November but still has gotten nothing despite many promises of getting it to him.

I’m just trying to think, if I was in the situation, what would be the best course of action. B is contemplating telling D’s parents that he still owes him money because they don’t actually know, but I doubt that’ll make a difference. he is also considering reporting D for fraud because of what he’s doing with the charity stuff but I don’t think he really wants it to get to that point.

I had told B at the time that there was a good chance that this would happen, but I can’t blame him for wanting to be generous at the time. and the real problem is that he gave money he didn’t have.

any thoughts?

Stay out of it. It’s between the two of them.

Without a loan document executed between the two, your friend has no proof of the loan at all. If he gave the other one cash, he has no paper trail either. If he wrote a check to the person or the organization, the claim can be made it was a gift not a loan.

Your friend has learned several valuable lessons the hard way:

First, never lend money you don’t have, and don’t use credit cards in this way.

Never lend money to friends. If do you lend money to someone, it needs to be done officially with a written loan agreement.

Your friend will likely be on his own to pay off his credit card debt.

yeah, that’s basically what I said too.

not getting involved, just don’t know what to say when he calls me to rant.

Pray for Jesus to come back and figure it out. :stuck_out_tongue:

Save the drama for the stage. Don’t get involved. But I will say that “loaning” money to any sort of theater venture is the worst idea ever. One should support the venture with a “gift” not a loan. Sadly this will ruin friendships. And you may be dragged into it…

“I understand you are upset, but there is nothing more to say on this topic.”

Change the subject or tell your friend you need to hang up/leave if he insists on continuing to talk about the other friend.

Report the guy for fraud. It is your duty.

That’ll teach him for not paying back loans.
