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Collect · Loans

Someone won't repay money you lent

You helped them out — a friend, a relative, a business contact — and now they've gone quiet. Here's how a New York attorney gets your money back. (General information, not legal advice.)

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Lending money and not getting it back is awkward, personal, and expensive. It's also collectible. Whether you signed a promissory note or just sent a transfer with a promise to repay, a loan is a debt — and a debt can be demanded, sued on, and enforced.

Your options, in order

1. Demand. Sometimes a formal letter is what finally makes a stalling borrower take it seriously — and it takes the awkwardness off you. Banksy drafts it free; an attorney can send it for $99.

2. Sue on the loan. If they keep dodging, we sue for repayment — on the note if you have one, or on the loan and the borrower's promise to repay if you don't.

3. Enforce the judgment. New York's CPLR Article 52 tools — information subpoenas, restraining notices, bank levies, and income executions through a marshal or sheriff — turn the judgment into repayment.

Proof is easier than people think. The transfer (bank, Venmo, Zelle, check), texts or emails about the loan and repayment, and any partial payments they made — partial repayment is strong evidence the money was a loan, not a gift.

Personal or business loan

This works whether you lent to an individual or to someone's business. If it's a business, we also look for a personal guaranty and where the company banks, so a judgment reaches real assets.

FAQ

We never signed anything — can I still collect?

Often yes — texts, emails, the transfer itself, and any partial repayments can prove both the loan and that it was meant to be paid back.

How long do I have to sue?

New York's general limit for a written contract is six years, and a partial payment or written acknowledgment can restart the clock — confirm your deadline before it lapses.

What does it cost me?

Free demand letter; $99 attorney review & send; full collection on contingency — no attorney fee unless we collect.

Ready to get your money back? Ask Banksy for your free letter → A New York attorney can review & send it for $99, or take the whole collection on contingency.