Help! Roommate won't pay us back utilities.

[Amateur_Barbarian]

There’s an old, old joke about how to make sure you never see someone again: Loan them $20.

[Doctor_Jackson]

@Randy_Seltzer

You’re quoting Federal law. State laws can be significantly more stringent, and can indeed apply to original creditors. See, e.g., Fl. St. 559.55 *et seq.*. As I said, it depends on the state.

I’m speaking strictly about the owner of a debt calling the debtor at work. Per your link, the debt owner cannot call the debtor’s employer, but says nothing about calling the debtor themself at their place of employment:

(4) Communicate or threaten to communicate with a debtor’s employer before obtaining final judgment against the debtor, unless the debtor gives her or his permission in writing to contact her or his employer or acknowledges in writing the existence of the debt after the debt has been placed for collection. However, this does not prohibit a person from telling the debtor that her or his employer will be contacted if a final judgment is obtained.

The Florida staute does limit the hours a collection call can be made to 8:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m. in the debtor’s time zone, which could by default mean you couldn’t call a third shift worker at their job. I wonder if, in a era of 24/7 business, the arbitrary time restraint would stand up in court…

[Randy_Seltzer]

@Doctor_Jackson

I’m speaking strictly about the owner of a debt calling the debtor at work. Per your link, the debt owner cannot call the debtor’s employer, but says nothing about calling the debtor themself at their place of employment:
The Florida staute does limit the hours a collection call can be made to 8:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m. in the debtor’s time zone, which could by default mean you couldn’t call a third shift worker at their job. I wonder if, in a era of 24/7 business, the arbitrary time restraint would stand up in court…

Hope your legal malpractice insurance is paid up.

[handsomeharry]

@Projammer

IIRC, around here, a small claims award is the amount owed plus filing costs. You should check into that before ruling it out.

This sounds best to me.

Also, as far as learning a lesson, why not let the *deadbeat *be the lesson learner?

[chargerrich]

@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as

At our last place, oft wears hats and I were living with two other roommates. The system was that oft would front the money for rent and utilities (electric, water, gas, internet/TV), and the roommates would pay him back.

We’ve since moved out, and closed out the utilities and the last rent payment. oft also fronted the money to get the carpets steam-cleaned. One of the housemates has paid us back; we haven’t heard a peep out of the other. It’s been two weeks. What options do we have to get him to pay us back? He owes over $200, so it’s a fairly large chunk of money.

Two Words:

Lead.Pipe
(just kidding, move on lesson learned)

[Count_Blucher]

Your joke is better; mine would have to do with a box and wrapping paper:

…Gee, it was just here a second ago…

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<object type=“application/x-shockwave-flash” style=“outline:none;” data=“http://hosting.gmodules.com/ig/gadgets/file/112581010116074801021/spider.swf?” width=“300” height=“200”><param name=“movie” value=“http://hosting.gmodules.com/ig/gadgets/file/112581010116074801021/spider.swf?”></param><param name=“AllowScriptAccess” value=“always”></param><param name=“wmode” value=“opaque”></param><param name=“scale” value=“noscale”/><param name=“salign” value=“tl”/></object>

Rats,didn’t work…

[Agent_Foxtrot]

The dude’s gone. Life lesson; move on.

[Uber_the_Goober]

He swung first. Go talk to him face to face, and be direct and firm. If he won’t pay you, break his car windows.

At least, that’s what happens in the movies…

[Skald_the_Rhymer]

NM

[Wilson]

@Skald_the_Rhymer

NM

It was going to involve bees, wasn’t it?

[agnesnitt]

I like the idea of calling the workplace and being polite.

[That_Don_Guy]

@Amateur_Barbarian

There’s an old, old joke about how to make sure you never see someone again: Loan them $20.

I believe the quote is, “For loan oft loses both itself and friend.” (In this case, “old” is right; it’s the line that follows, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be” in Hamlet.)

That being said, if you can confront this ex-housemate peacefully, do so, and ask him for the money; if he refuses, then you know who not to trust with money any more. Otherwise, just write it off.

[kayaker]

@Uber_the_Goober

He swung first. Go talk to him face to face, and be direct and firm. If he won’t pay you, break his car windows.

At least, that’s what happens in the movies…

That’s going overboard. Key his car.

[Nawth_Chucka]

@kayaker

That’s going overboard. Key his car.

With specially trained bees.

[Duckster]

Where/when I grew up and my life had roommates, I knew someone named Guido who specialized in fixing these things.

[kittenblue]

You said it had been two weeks…any possibility he just needed to wait until his next paycheck?

[oft_wears_hats]

After a couple emails and a phone call, he finally emailed me back and said that he just hadn’t gotten around to it. For two weeks. He emailed the landlord (and copied me) and asked to have the balance removed from his security deposit and added to mine. So hopefully we’re all done with this. Thanks for the advice, everyone!

I won’t call this done until I get my money back, but this is hopefully the last time I’ll have to deal with remuneration from roommates (other than my lovely girlfriend, of course).

[Jackmannii]

@Blackberry

Yeah, you could probably get the filing fee back too, but even if you win in small claims court, that doesn’t mean you automatically get the money. If he doesn’t pay it voluntarily you can go for wage garnishment or a lien on his property or something but there are probably fees for that too, plus it just wouldn’t be worth it for $200.

If you know where this person banks, getting an account garnished is pretty simple and cheap. Plus the fee might get tacked on to what he owes from the court judgment.

[Doctor_Jackson]

@Randy_Seltzer

Hope your legal malpractice insurance is paid up.

I’m not a lawyer, so that doesn’t apply. Neither does your cite, which doesn’t support your position. I explained why. Reiterating something just doesn’t make it true.

[Randy_Seltzer]

@Doctor_Jackson

I’m not a lawyer

Shocked!