COWORKER - UTANG (Small Claims)
Hi, lawyers! I desperately need some advice.
An old friend from another department owes me and several of our other colleagues money. Collectively, the amount is almost half a mil.
In my case, she borrowed money from me and said she would return it the following day. I agreed because we had a common friend whom she had previously borrowed money from and actually paid back as promised, so I trusted her.
However, it has now been several months and she still hasn't paid me. Whenever we follow up, she keeps making excuses, and recently she even told me to proceed with the case.
Since several employees from the same company are involved, I'm wondering:
- Can HR get involved in this situation, considering that multiple employees are affected? Or would HR generally consider this a purely personal matter between employees? If HR cannot intervene, where should we raise this complaint?
- Would we have a chance of recovering the money through Small Claims Court, especially if we have proof of the loan, messages, bank transfers, and her acknowledgment that she owes us?
- Since there are several people she owes money to, can we somehow file or pursue this together, or would each creditor need to file their own claim?
I know borrowing money is a personal matter, but since this involves several employees and a significant amount, I'm wondering if there is any other appropriate avenue before going straight to court.
Any advice, especially from lawyers or people who have gone through a similar situation, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!