Can you demand gifted money back?

[carmensimone]

Jurisdiction

Kansas

Hello.

I was short on rent this month (by $350), so on my tinder profile I (stupidly) asked a man to help.
I told him I could either pay him back in the future, but he never asked that I pay him back, he just wanted to hang out and get to know me. So, we met at Starbucks the next day, and he gave me part of it, then the next day he transferred the rest online. He began to creep me out and stalked all my social media, I got nervous so I blocked him on everything.

Is there any illegal doing on my behalf here?
He's threatening to take me to civil court.

There was never any agreement that I pay him back.

No harsh comments please, only legal advice.

 

[mightymoose]

Absolutely he can demand that you repay it.

You can also refuse.

It's his fault for being dumb enough to give you his money.

As the saying goes, "a fool and his money are soon parted".

I wouldn't make a habit of this for the sake of your own safety.

 

[army judge]

Hello.

I was short on rent this month (by $350), so on my tinder profile I (stupidly) asked a man to help.
I told him I could either pay him back in the future, but he never asked that I pay him back, he just wanted to hang out and get to know me. So, we met at Starbucks the next day, and he gave me part of it, then the next day he transferred the rest online. He began to creep me out and stalked all my social media, I got nervous so I blocked him on everything.

Is there any illegal doing on my behalf here?
He's threatening to take me to civil court.

There was never any agreement that I pay him back.

No harsh comments please, only legal advice.

There's very little the dummy can do LEGALLY.

There are many ILLEGAL options available to those who don't care about losing their freedom, the worst of those (as far as you're concerned) is that the dummy could torture and kill you.

You're an adult and make your own choices.

If you continue your behavior, you're painting a target on your back.

I've tried cases where one person killed another over small amounts of money and items.

The most outrageous case was over a cigarette, yes a common cigarette borrowed and never paid back.

The aggrieved party stabbed the debtor over 100 times because he wouldn't repay the debt.

Take it from an old man who has seen it all, slow your roll, the planet is full of angry, disturbed, psychopathic "humanoids".

 

[adjusterjack]

I told him I could either pay him back in the future,

Looks to me that you agreed to pay it back before he gave you the money.

he never asked that I pay him back,

Never? He's asking now. That's not never.

On the other hand, you don't have to pay him anything until a judge tells you to. You are free to ignore his threats and see how it goes.

 

[zddoodah]

I told him I could either pay him back in the future

"[E]ither . . . in the future" or what? What else could there possibly be?

but he never asked that I pay him back

Why would he need to ask if you had already "told him [that you] could . . . pay him back in the future"?

Is there any illegal doing on my behalf here?

Not based on what you posted, but you never know what sort of story the other person might tell.

He's threatening to take me to civil court.

There was never any agreement that I pay him back.

That doesn't mean that the money wasn't a loan.

P.S. The same profile picture that might be suitable for some forums probably sends a very wrong message on other forums.

 

[army judge]

P.S. The same profile picture that might be suitable for some forums probably sends a very wrong message on other forums.

I'm just another Internet dummy taking a SWAG at this, mate, I suspect THAT is the precise message intended.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

The matter will go to small claims court, if at all. The "gift" issue frequently occurs / occurred on the People's Court all the time. Debtors went there because they knew that even if they lost the case, they would be compensated and that basically the appearance paid for a debt they had expected to be called upon to honor.

Normally there would be the need to determine where the burden of proof lies, such as whether the person giving the money and suing must bear the burden of proof that the giving of money was a loan and not a gift. Circumstances and jurisdictions may play a part in that determination. But as @adjusterjack says - you admitted that it was a loan! The fact that it had no due date, according to you, is weak and subject to a different recollection of events provided by the man who gave you the money in an attempt to get to know you better.

As was said, we'll see how far it goes. Just doesn't seem like a good way of making the rent.

 

[ElleMD]

As others have said, he can take you to small claims court and win. What possible reason do you have for not paying him back? That you just don't want to? That you now aren't interested in a relationship? That he checked out the online profiles of someone he met and loaned a good deal of money to? None of those are going to hold up in court.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

The reason is usually the same given on the People's Court. They just don't have the money to pay it back and were trying to find some rational, ethical reason to explain why they can just keep the money.