Would really appreciate some advice here:
- a few months ago a work colleague was really distressed as bailiffs were outside her house waiting to enter and take her things unless she repaid a debt.
- I was really concerned for her as she has a young daughter and lent quite a large (4-figure) sum of money, and we both signed a loan agreement printed off from a legal website on internet, whereby she agreed to repay me £200 per month (she suggested the amount) by direct debit.
- after only 3 months she cancelled the direct debit because £700 of unpaid council tax was deducted from her salary (the council concerned had arranged this with our employer)
- she then arranged for this unpaid council tax to be repaid £100 each month, and started to pay me back again, this time at £100 per month, which already contravened the terms of our loan agreement but I was ok with this due to the council tax, but thought it odd that she hadn't mentioned this outstanding council tax debt to me.
- She did not re-establish the direct debit and has paid me a total of £700 since receiving the loan, with me having to request the money from her each month.
- I resigned from my job in July so we no longer see each other at work, but until this morning we were facebook friends and were in touch this way. I have been trying to contact her to see if she was in a position to make the payment due on 31st August, but she hasn't responded to my messages and has now "unfriended" me on facebook.
- I can't believe that someone I thought was a friend would behave in this way; I have been nothing but generous and understanding with her. As she is not responding to my attempts to contact her to discuss an amicable way forward, do you think it's unreasonable to take legal action against her?
Would appreciate your views please.