I took out a student loan with me & my father-in-laws information. I have been paying on the loan and he knew about it. Now he is coming at me saying he will call the police and deny giving me permission if I do not pay him $500 a month. Me and my husband have been sending him $500 every month since October of 2006. Is there anything I can do????
2007-03-22 10:15:08 · 14 answers · asked by kristina_delarosa@ameritech.net 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Just to clear some things up...I did not forge anyones signature, the loan app allowed me to digitally sign it online and I had his permission...as far as I am concerned I did nothing wrong...but that is my opinion
2007-03-22 10:29:50 · update #1
I am paying him because I cannot prove I had his permission...it would be my word against his and i don't want to take any chances
2007-03-22 10:53:58 · update #2
The best thing to do to a blackmailer is to call his bluff. Under the facts you've stated, if you had permission you have done nothing criminal. The cops won't get involved. However, he has done something criminal, extortion. His only power over you is his threat, which once the facts come out are worthless. I recommend going to the cops first. It will be your word against him and if you put him in the defensive position first, you will be more credible. Good luck.
2007-03-22 10:54:25 · answer #1 · answered by Tara P 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A few thoughts: Why were you paying him 500 a month? Is that HIS money? Did you have a deal in which he cosigns and gets a percentage? Are you going back on your word? Is it really HIM being screwed in this? Did you have some sort of previous arrangement with him and you changed your mind and are now trying to get out of it? Because otherwise, why would you have been paying him 500 a month in the first place? It sounds like you are cashing his checks and keeping his money and this is the only leverage he has. Or, you had a deal that he gets a percentage and now you want out. I could be wrong, but something doesn't add up here and that's my first impression.
If so, make amends, send him his money, and keep your word.
2007-03-22 17:54:54 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Am I to assume you forged his signature? Bad deal. Very bad. You are stuck with paying your father-in-law blackmail money for as long as he demands it or you have to go to the authorities and admit your crime, as well as his. He is guilty of extortion, yes, but you could be found guilty of forgery and fraud, that's for certain, but, what's worse, a student loan is under federal jurisdiction, so you will be sentenced under federal guidelines, but whether you will have to spend time in jail or get probation would be up to whether the court wanted to have leniency for you. Unfortunately, these are your choices. Continue to pay or stop and take the chance that he will go to the police, or you go to the police yourself. At least if you were to go to the police yourself, extortion charges against the father-in-law would have a better chance of being issued.
Be careful about taping conversations. Read your state laws on the subject. Some states require that all parties involved give their permission to be taped prior to taping. Any evidence obtained outside of the state's laws would be inadmissible.
Now, if he did sign the loan, definitely stop paying him immediately. Let him go to the police. It will be very easy to prove that it's his signature on the loan documents.
2007-03-22 17:26:02 · answer #3 · answered by Venice Girl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here's the way I see it. A digital signature? I'd deny that I filled out the application or that I supplied the digital signature. Think proof beyond a reasonable doubt. He has you busted, you tell them that he actually did the digital signature AND you tell them that he's been blackmailing you even though he knows you didnt do it. No prosecutor on the planet is going to bring that case. Unless of course it's the blackmail case.
Pretty cool huh?
2007-03-22 17:35:56 · answer #4 · answered by Toodeemo 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Tell the police that you are being blackmailed, and they will set up a conversation b/t you and father-in-law. Then, stop paying on the loan, and have a conversation where f-in-law (hey, that fits!) admits that either you pay him money or he will tell the police. THIS is extortion. If the admits that he gave you permission, then it becomes extortion AND blackmail.
You can't get the $500/mth back, though.Sorry.
2007-03-22 17:22:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
"Just to clear some things up...I did not forge anyones signature, the loan app allowed me to digitally sign it online and I had his permission...as far as I am concerned I did nothing wrong...but that is my opinion"
Then why are you paying him?
2007-03-22 17:51:20 · answer #6 · answered by mikehunt29 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Telll him to go ahead and call the police-they cant do anything about a loan. LOL I would do it for sure that old man would not get any money from me I would send it directly to the loan company and cut him out of it entirely.
2007-03-22 17:22:44 · answer #7 · answered by elaeblue 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Call his bluff, tell him if your in jail he get's nothing and pay the student loan and not him.
The only way to deal with sin is confront it and deal with the consequence then you beat satan at his own game.
2007-03-22 17:18:55 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Talk to a lawyer about what you can do.
If you get him on tape blackmailing you he is guilty of extortion.
Extortion carries heavy fines and prison time.
You could also sue him in civil court.
2007-03-22 17:48:40 · answer #9 · answered by infobrokernate 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He will get in trouble too. Record him next time so you will have proof! Then he won't want to blackmail you anymore.
2007-03-22 17:22:39 · answer #10 · answered by Eisbär 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋