AITA for demanding my friend pay back the money I loaned her for her trip because she’s now posting about a luxury vacation?

r/

So, last year my friend Sarah needed $2,000 for an emergency, and I lent it to her ‘cause I wanted to help. She said she’d pay me back in 6 months. Well, it’s been over a year, and I still haven’t seen a dime. Every time I asked, she said she was tight on money and would pay me when she could.
Then, outta nowhere, she posts about this crazy luxury Bali trip — fancy resorts, private villas, the whole deal. I was kinda shocked, like, if she could afford that, why no payment? I messaged her, kept it chill, just said, “Hey, I see you’re enjoying Bali! Can we talk about the $2,000 you owe me? Feels like I’m being taken for granted.” She flipped, called me petty and jealous, said I had no right to say anything, then blocked me.
So, AITA for asking for my money back when she’s clearly spending on lux stuff?

Comments

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    So, last year my friend Sarah needed $2,000 for an emergency, and I lent it to her ‘cause I wanted to help. She said she’d pay me back in 6 months. Well, it’s been over a year, and I still haven’t seen a dime. Every time I asked, she said she was tight on money and would pay me when she could.
    Then, outta nowhere, she posts about this crazy luxury Bali trip — fancy resorts, private villas, the whole deal. I was kinda shocked, like, if she could afford that, why no payment? I messaged her, kept it chill, just said, “Hey, I see you’re enjoying Bali! Can we talk about the $2,000 you owe me? Feels like I’m being taken for granted.” She flipped, called me petty and jealous, said I had no right to say anything, then blocked me.
    So, AITA for asking for my money back when she’s clearly spending on lux stuff?

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    Welcome to /r/AmITheAsshole. Please view our voting guide here, and remember to use only one judgement in your comment.

    OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:

    > I asked my friend to pay back $2,000 I lent her over a year ago after she posted about a luxury vacation. The action I want judged is bringing up the loan repayment while she was publicly sharing expensive trip details. I might be the asshole because calling her out on her spending could seem like I’m policing her personal finances or shaming her, which upset her enough that she blocked me. I can see how she might feel embarrassed or attacked, even if I just wanted to get my money back.

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  3. spin01 Avatar

    NTA, save the texts and take her to small claims

  4. feather-step Avatar

    NTA.

    It’s not even about the luxury vacation. It’s about the loan being well past due. She said she’d repay you after six months. Over twelve months later she hasn’t repaid you. People don’t get to default just because they don’t feel like paying it back.

    I hope you have the agreement in writing. Consider whether it would be worth taking her to court over it.

    Don’t lend her any additional money, ever. She’s proven that she’s untrustworthy.

  5. Grouchy_Librarian343 Avatar

    NTA. Tell her if she doesn’t pay you back in the next two weeks you’re taking her to small claims court. And don’t ever loan money again without a signed agreement.

  6. Good_Mycologist5254 Avatar

    Treat it as paying 2k to get rid of someone who is not fit to have your friendship. Good friends who help you out in a jam are precious and should be cherished. This person is not one of them and sooner or later they will run out of runway.

    I know it’s annoying. You think they’ve gotten one over on you, but the reality is you’ve now got them figured out. This is a valuble life lesson.

  7. procrastinating_b Avatar

    NTA

    But I don’t think you are getting the money back.

  8. Ok_Objective8366 Avatar

    NTA stop messing with her and just take her to small claims court

  9. Maker_of_woods Avatar

    you can ask a rock for water. sure but you ain’t getting it

  10. Pleasant_desert Avatar

    NTA- who wants a friend like that? Take her to small claims court.

  11. Fickle-Cabinet3956 Avatar

    NTA

    Take her to small claims court because she never intends on paying you that money back.

  12. ugh_idfk Avatar

    NTA. Like others have said, take her to small claims court and be done with her ass.

  13. ImaBitchCaroleBaskin Avatar

    Why did you message her? You need to reply to her post and ask about the 2k she owes you!

  14. Throwawaylife1984 Avatar

    Unless you got a lawyer who works for free, kids that 2k goodbye, but keep the screenshots of the convo and use them to warn people

  15. ShannaraRose Avatar

    NTA. I’d say sorry you lost a friend, but all you lost was $2,000.

    She’ll get back in contact again … when she wants you to give her more money. When she does, save yourself the time and effort and just laugh in her face and walk away.

  16. Wise_Session_5370 Avatar

    NTA

    It just cost you $2,000 to get a moocher out of your life.

    In the long term, it will be good value.

  17. kimba-the-tabby-lion Avatar

    This is why we should teach Shakespeare in schools.

    >Neither a borrower, nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend,

    You are kinda the AH for giving her the money. She’s a liar and a user. But I guess NTA for asking for it back.

  18. Empty-Gas7570 Avatar

    NTA-definetly not, keep all communications and get some papers filed at your local courthouse. Take her to small claims and get your money back, she has no plans to pay you or she would have already.

  19. Expensive_Yam_2222 Avatar

    Take her to small claims court but I would name and shame. If she’s done it to you for $2K she’s done it to other people for both more and less money.

  20. SilkySmoothRalph Avatar

    NTA obviously. Do you have a shared friend group where you can publicly ask others if they’ve leant her money and had her fail to repay? Not really to find out but to do a bit of passive aggressive public shaming. Then small claims if that doesn’t work.

  21. martintoconnell Avatar

    NTA. She stole from you. Research the Small Claims statutes and procedures in your are.

  22. JAGMAN007-69 Avatar

    This is why I have a hard rule of never lending money to people that are not my kids. Period. I’ll sit down and go over your budget to help you fix problems or I’ll gift you money if I’m feeling charitable (rarely). But I’m never ever loaning money between friends or family.

  23. jimmyb1982 Avatar

    NTA. I hope you learned a valuable lesson. NEVER LOAN MONEY TO FAMILY OR FRIEND.

    UPDATEME

  24. Acceptable-Original Avatar

    I think your only recourse now is small claims

  25. RIPRIF20 Avatar

    NTA. People need to stop loaning friends money.

  26. Negative_Comfort6848 Avatar

    You’ll never see your money back unless you can take her to court.

    She is not your friend.NTA

  27. Sure_Flamingo_2792 Avatar

    Time for small claims court if you have her saying she will pay it in a text. And this friendship never existed as friends pay back loans and better friends don’t ask. NTA

  28. Prize_Sort5983 Avatar

    Fakes as fuck. Like I seen 3 post today with the same topic

  29. AcademicPainting23 Avatar

    NTA. Never loan money to family or friends unless you can mentally view it as a gift. It rarely works out for anyone. That said, your $2k was gone a long time ago. That’s how much she valued your friendship. $2,000. You WNBTA if you put her on blast on social media so she can’t steal from anyone else. You also don’t need a lawyer for small claims court.

  30. phyncke Avatar

    That’s a lot of money. If you have documentation of the loan, you can sue her in small claims

  31. BurlinghamBob Avatar

    NTA. It’s time to send her a certified letter demanding repayment. After that, you’ll need to sue her in small claims court.

  32. mistermandatory Avatar

    Have you tried discussing a payment plan?

  33. englishikat Avatar

    Your friend is a user and a loser. You are NTA. Not sure what your legal recourse is to recoup the $2k now, but if you EVER loan anyone money, and I don’t care how well you think you know them, or even if you’re in a relationship with them or related to them, ALWAYS, ALWAYS get signed paperwork from the loanee acknowledging the terms of the loan. Otherwise any court can easily consider it a gift.

  34. OkSeaworthiness9145 Avatar

    Common sense usually prevails in small claims court. Those courts assume you have no legal experience, and many jurisdictions either discourage the presence of lawyers, or outright disallow them. Proof that you were the source of the funds, and your testimony that she did not pay you back will create a credibility problem for her. Younger people with limited means typically don’t just “give” friends $2,000, so the judge will probably expect her to supply texts or e-mails that would indicate she disputed that it was loan. When you asked for the money, she should have claimed it was a gift, or denied you gave it to her. Instead, she attacked you, and then blocked you. Not a good look for her in the slightest.

    She did not view you as a friend, but rather a resource and a victim. Just the act of filing may get your money back.

  35. Roadgoddess Avatar

    NTA but just know you’re never gonna get that money back without taking her to small claims court. She is totally taken advantage of you.

  36. SweetBekki Avatar

    NTA – I’d exposed her for everyone to see. You thought you were helping a friend in need but turns out she only needed the money to go to Bali.