My brother's wife told me that she was going to get a partner draw the following week, so she will give me back $100,000.00 and she is also getting a loan from the credit union so she will give me the money back. It is over five months now and I have not received a cent from them. I am so worried now because my husband is coming back to Jamaica in December and I would have to explain to him what I did with the money.

Every time I ask my brother or his wife for the money, I am told that I will soon get it. The last time I called my sister-in-law, she told me that if I am not tired of calling because they are not thieves, and as soon as they get it they will give me. I told her that was not the plan and she hanged up on me. I told them that I will take them to court and she said I should go ahead and do that if I can't wait.

How can I get back my money before my husband comes back?

C.

Dear C.,

Lending money, especially to family members is a risky business. Many times when family members borrow money, they do not consider it business and they are not eager to repay the money.

There are some family members who are indeed reliable and trustworthy. But you as the lender should always have them sign an agreement that they would repay what they have borrowed. And someone should sign as witness.

You made a big mistake when you did not consult your husband before giving this loan to your brother and sister-in-law. You should not have given the loan without his consent. And you should have had some type of assurance from the credit union that the loan they were seeking from them would be sent to you as part payment on the money that they were borrowing from you. Whether or not they got the loan from the credit union and the partner draw, you were not able to tell. But the attitude they are now displaying is rather shameful.

May I suggest that you inform your husband of what you did. Don't allow him to come to Jamaica without knowing that you withdrew the money and gave it to your brother and his wife. Tell him the situation. It would be easier for him to deal with it while he is away than to return to Jamaica expecting the money to be in the account and for you to be trying to explain why it is not there.

Going to court should be the last resort. I hope that you will not have to do so.

However, unfortunately sometimes a person has to use that option.

Pastor