I want to sue a former friend because he refuses to return a sweatshirt i lent him

[Jon27]

Pennsylvania, I want to sue a former friend because he refuses to return a sweatshirt i lent him about 4 months ago. The thing is i really don't have a lot of money for a lawyer or court fees. i want to know if there is a way I can get free legal assistants for this case if there is one. I have asked him numerous time for it back but the keeps saying when ever he has time he will. I have text messages of him acknowledging that he has it and an email receipt from the website my girlfriend bought it from. It may just be a hoodie but it was a bit expensive and it was a Christmas gift. i would either like the amount the hoodie cost now,or the hoodie back in the same condition i lent it to him. I have warned him i would take legal actions if he didnt return it to scare him but he didnt budge. hopefully once he see's a summons get to his house he will just give it back an i can drop the charges.

 

[racer72]

What is the current value of this sweatshirt? It would probably be easier to use the money you would use to sue and just buy yourself another.

 

[quincy]

Pennsylvania, I want to sue a former friend because he refuses to return a sweatshirt i lent him about 4 months ago. The thing is i really don't have a lot of money for a lawyer or court fees. i want to know if there is a way I can get free legal assistants for this case if there is one. I have asked him numerous time for it back but the keeps saying when ever he has time he will. I have text messages of him acknowledging that he has it and an email receipt from the website my girlfriend bought it from. It may just be a hoodie but it was a bit expensive and it was a Christmas gift. i would either like the amount the hoodie cost now,or the hoodie back in the same condition i lent it to him. I have warned him i would take legal actions if he didnt return it to scare him but he didnt budge. hopefully once he see's a summons get to his house he will just give it back an i can drop the charges.

I doubt if there is any attorney who wants to handle this type of legal action for you for free.

The following link connects you to FreeAdvice staff written information on small claims actions in Pennsylvania:
https://law.freeadvice.com/small_claims/small_claims/pennsylvania-small-claims-court.htm

 

[tranquility]

Would that the common law still ruled.

De Minimis Non Curat Lex

http://www.duhaime.org/LegalDictionary/D/DeMinimisNonCuratLex.aspx

 

[quincy]

Would that the common law still ruled.

De Minimis Non Curat Lex

http://www.duhaime.org/LegalDictionary/D/DeMinimisNonCuratLex.aspx

That, of course, is a first thought )), but I suppose it could depend on exactly how expensive this old hoodie is (although one can probably assume it is not a hoodie signed by, for example, Eminem).

 

[Just Blue]

Pennsylvania, I want to sue a former friend because he refuses to return a sweatshirt i lent him about 4 months ago. The thing is i really don't have a lot of money for a lawyer or court fees. i want to know if there is a way I can get free legal assistants for this case if there is one. I have asked him numerous time for it back but the keeps saying when ever he has time he will. I have text messages of him acknowledging that he has it and an email receipt from the website my girlfriend bought it from. It may just be a hoodie but it was a bit expensive and it was a Christmas gift. i would either like the amount the hoodie cost now,or the hoodie back in the same condition i lent it to him. I have warned him i would take legal actions if he didnt return it to scare him but he didnt budge. hopefully once he see's a summons get to his house he will just give it back an i can drop the charges.

You want to bog down the court with a "hoodie"...AND want an attorney, free of charge, to assist in this? REALLY?

Do you have a mental illness?

 

[quincy]

You want to bog down the court with a "hoodie"...AND want an attorney, free of charge, to assist in this? REALLY? ...

I think it sad that many people feel that minor disputes need to be handled by the police or in a courtroom.

There have always been complaints about the high cost of litigation, and in some cases I believe the complaints are legitimate, but the costs involved in pursuing legal actions might also encourage a few people with the silly and petty dog-barking, loud neighbor, return-what-I-loaned-you issues to work matters out between themselves. Of course, that takes a certain level of maturity.

 

[cbg]

You have the right to take your friend to small claims court, assuming that the sweatshirt is worth more to you than the friendship.

Unless you have a friend or relative who is a licensed attorney in PA and who is willing to take this on for you at no cost, you will have to pay for a lawyer. The state is not going to pay for a lawyer for you over a sweatshirt.

 

[Proserpina]

(really?!)

How does OP intend to collect? PA does not allow regular creditors to garnish wages...