People suing me. I have a pregnant wife and a 1 year old daughter. Help please?

Question

In late 2006, I had my car breakdown, and the father of one of my friends said that he would pay for it. He told me I just needed to do some lawn work for his wife. A couple months later, after I had been doing lawn work for awhile, I had a girlfriend who lived in Virginia who had become pregnant. So I left my home here to go care for her. In the time that I was gone him and his wife divorced. Then when I came back I was told by her daughter that she was irritated I left so soon, but eventually that passed. I had even been over to the house numerous times and she never said anything about wanting me to do more lawn work or giving her any money. Now that her daughter is trying to jump out of a lease with us, because her mother got hooked onto heroin and other drugs, blew all of her money, then tried to kill herself; and we are no longer friends, her mother is trying to say that I owe her $450. There was never any mention that I would pay any money back for his assistance, and if there was I would have refused it.

In addition, the other night, after she was yelling at my pregnant wife, she brought it up and I told her I would pay it back, just to get her to leave us alone because she was upsetting my wife so much that she was having early contractions and shes only 7 months pregnant. I don't think that matters at all, but my wife was worried.

Answer 1

I think you need to pay her back asap as a man who borrowed. However i don't think there was any legal binding contract between you both. did you ever sign anything? the worse that will happen is she can take you to small claims court.(almost a joke) and try to get a court ruleing in her favor. You might want to try and contact her ex-hubby and ask him if he wants to have you pay his ex?( my guess is he will laugh and tell you no and maybe even give you a written PIF(paid in full) bill that will legaly conclude your debt. there usually isnt alot of "nice" when it comes to divorce  the origional agreement was between you  guys not you and the ex wife.

Answer 2

I'm not an attorney, first off.

Until you get court papers, you're not being sued.  If she thinks you owe her the $450.00 (and it sounds like you do), give her a check, write payment in full when cashed on back (where she'll sign to cash it) and on the memo.  Keep the returned check, after she cashes it with the receipt you give her.

Make a written receipt stating that she has been paid in full for all outstanding debts.  Make two copies - both of you sign and date each copy.  That way you'll both have an original receipt.

I think you need to pay her, just to give you wife a break and be a man.  And congratulations on your new baby.

Answer 3

They are 'surig' you for 450 or threatening to do so?  Unless they file a claim in Small Claims Court, and you receive notification of such a claim, you are NOT being sued.  If they do decide to take you to court for that amount, they would have to show a contract or something to signed to prove that this was a loan not a gift.   The fact that you did not pay anthing back since the gift is in your favor, however, if you do start to pay it back, it implies it was a loan, not a gift.  Whether or not they actually take you to court, if you have the funds you might just want to pay it off to get them off your back, you should only pay the money to the person who gave it to you, not the daughter, wife, or any other relative, and you should get a signed document that the amount is paid in full and there is no additional obligation.