Opinion poll. Long scenario. Please please read.

[Lizking]

Eric's penchant for losing all his money at the casino and the fact that he was in a cash buisness that could land him in jail at any time

That narrows it down some.

[NUKE]

Originally posted by CavemanJ
If he's a good friend, and you value his friendship, give him back the ~3700.  He was late with rent and broke the lease, and that was your "upfront profit" after closing.  

Up to  Ron if he wants to give back his ~3700.

If ya don't care if ya never talk to him again, don't give him ****.

Well, I'm  the Ron in this story and I'm probably going to give him something if we get full price for the house and IF he remains reasonable.

Eric really has been a pain though....and I really didn't want to buy his house to begin with.

And when Steve says that he warned Eric that this was a bad deal for him, it's a HUGE understatement. Steve told Eric that it was a terrible deal and tried to talk him out of it....but Eric insisted.

[Dago]

Originally posted by Steve
Who's a drug dealer?

Edbert is.  

[Nash]

A friend of mine...

Gambling problem? Or what's his deal?

[NUKE]

Originally posted by Nash
Gambling problem? Or what's his deal?

He had crap credit and wanted to get the equity out of his house, and put it into his business.

[Nash]

Rgr.

I can't pretend to really know your guys' circumstance, but if he's one of yer buds then ya throw him a bone. Might not be what Ayn Rand or whoever would do... but she'd prolly be a really crap friend.

Just my 2 cents.

[Dago]

You already threw him one bone, you bought out his house like he begged you to do.

Time for this guy to live with the results of his actions.

He has already displayed his attitude towards you and money.  Remember the rent issue, the complaints about cost, was he your bestest buddy then?

This guy isnt family.  He is a user.  He takes advantage.  If you give him money he has no right to, he will never learn responsibility and how life works.

Again, he would not have given you one dime if you had sold the house at a loss, in that case he would have been all about "hey, it was your house, you lost money, nothing to do with me".  But, since your investment paid off he wants some of the money he has no right to.  

Keep business as business.  And with the money that you invested, it was business.

dago

[Sikboy]

Originally Posted by Eric the ****ing Real Estate Baron
Gee, I'd sure like to get money out of the real estate market without risking my own capital

The best way to answer this question (I mean besides laughing in his face), is to consider whether Eric would be helping you get out from under the house if it lost value, or if he would have gladly given you the $150,000 market value, if it had gone that way.

-Sik

[Sixpence]

How do you feel? If you hold yourself to high moral standards, give him a fair share, if you don't, keep it.

It's kinda like complaining about scalpers and then having a twenty dollar game ticket you can sell for six hundred. That all mighty dollar has a strange way of making us see things a little different.

[Steve]

If you hold yourself to high moral standards, give him a fair share

Well this is the question really.  You haven't answered it, in your opinion.  Is he morally entitled to $$$?  What is a fair share?

[Nash]

It so totally depends on what kind of friend he is.

If he's an aquaintence that you've been hanging out with for a while, that's one thing.

If he's one of those friends that has been a friend seemingly forever, and you always kinda pictured all yourselves winding up as old farts on some park bench ******ing about whatever, that's another thing.

Everyone screws up. It's usually precicely then that your definition of "friend" comes into focus.

[Nash]

Btw, and just in case he is one of those true friends... then here's what to do:

Ask him what's fair.

Any amount he says, pay it - on condition that no more will be discussed about the episode ever again.

Attach no more conditions to it.

Give it without any reluctance, smile when you hand it over, and then go out for a beer.

If you have any misgivings about it when you get home, resolve that very night to forgive him.

[culero]

Originally posted by Lizking
Eric's penchant for losing all his money at the casino and the fact that he was in a cash buisness that could land him in jail at any time

That narrows it down some.

Pretty much exactly what it sounded like to me, too.

Maybe I've just known way too many drug dealers ~shrug~

culero (lives where lotsa smugglers do)

[rpm]

He made a rotten deal and now he's pouting. Nothing personal, but why would you want a loser like that as a friend? If it were me I'd buy something flashy like a Rolex and wave it under his nose everyday until he went away.

[JB88]

Originally posted by Nash
Btw, and just in case he is one of those true friends... then here's what to do:

Ask him what's fair.

Any amount he says, pay it - on condition that no more will be discussed about the episode ever again.

Attach no more conditions to it.

Give it without any reluctance, smile when you hand it over, and then go out for a beer.

If you have any misgivings about it when you get home, resolve that very night to forgive him.

i concur.

a kickback for a friend is worth more than a few measly bucks considering your profit.

so what if he is a slack deadbeat miscreate about it.

fact is, an open sore anywhere can breed problems later on.

i'd give him half.

and the other half if he never gambles again.

payable in ten years.