Losing my sanity...
So I have this friend. Him and his g/f have gone on vacation with us the last 2 years. He's one of my best friends, so I didn't want him to be left out. He couldn't come up with the money, but was supposed to be getting a pretty sizeable raise from work. The raise didn't come and kept getting postponed. Etc, etc, ad nauseum...
So then this year comes up for hockey season ticket renewals and he never said anything to me, so I assumed he was getting them. At the last minute, he calls and says he can't afford it all at once and the team won't do payments at that point. So here's me with my ticket paid for and the seat next to me empty. Lame. In my own interest, I ended up paying for it and adding it to his running total. Keep in mind I bought his ticket last year just to keep the seat even though he wouldn't be able to make most of the games due to him being in paramedic school. I took whomever I wanted to take all season (he went a few times when he could), so I ate that cost since I used them. Not this year; that wasn't the agreement.
Now that brings us up to like October? and he's indebted to me by about $1835. I need to have this paid back ASAP just to get it taken care of. I had to take a low-interest loan to cover some bills. He's gotten his raise from work and all that jazz, so I have no problem asking him for money regularly. He just seems to think I don't need it or something.
So anyway, we're 2 years out from the inital debt. February of 2006. He's now paid me $200. $1635 remaining. Is it too forward of me to email him a loan amortization table with payment due dates? Do I charge interest? How long do I give him to pay it back? Keep in mind his credit is crap and he can't get a loan to pay me back in full.
Next order of business is the fact that he brought up the other day taking another group vacation this year. I told him to let me know when and where and who I have to pay, but I am *NOT* going to do the arrangements this year since I got screwed the last 2 years. He goes on to list people that might be interested, but one can never be sure that they actually will be able to go. He said "I've been putting money in savings every pay so I should have around $1500 by July for vacation." and I said "Good, if we don't go, I'll take that." I don't think he understood that I was being serious. I'm also not sure if he figured in his tax return, either. I'm sure he'll get a decent amount there.
So basically I'm just venting here, but I have to ask... If you were in my shoes, what would you do? Demand payment ASAP and give a set payment schedule? Force him to see if he can get a loan of some sort? Give him a chance and if he defalts, file forms to garnish his wages? Take him on Judge Judy or Judge Joe Brown? What should I do? I'm at wits' end and need to get this straightened out since I have some debts that I need to pay off as well.
Help!