IS THERE A CORRELATION BETWEEN A LACK OF VALUES AND THE NON PAYMENT OF DEBT?

Written by Shane

Created: 02 January 2013

Many of you will remember and remember well the lessons you received from your parents early in your life, particularly your father. Sons and daughters will remember well their father’s constant chanting about the things that were important to develop, demonstrate and protect. Things that you were told were values in life and would set you apart from others who are less scrupulous, and ensure your reputation would remain intact, and therefore society would come to trust and respect you. You earned a reputation as being ‘solid”. So what are these “things”, these “values”. Let me list a few for you:

 – When you shake hands with someone else, give a strong grip;

 – Look the other person in the eye;

 – Mean what you say and say what you mean;

 – Do, without delay what you say you will do;

 – Do not spoil your good name and bring discredit upon yourself and most important of all;

 – Be honest.

Many of us will argue that the values listed above mostly do not exist today. Anyway, what do the values listed above have to do with whether someone will re-pay their debt. In our opinion and experience, we say that there is a correlation between a lack of values and the non-payment of debt.

Firstly, there is often of lack of personal responsibility, in that debtors will want to decide when to pay you, rather than paying you in accordance with the terms of the agreement that they signed, or simply the promises that they made to you. Debtors will flat out refuse to pay you around the Christmas and New Year period, because the money that they owe you will be spent on things that hold more “value” to them. Debtors will also simply stretch the truth to explain why they cannot pay, or why they have to delay paying you.

We live in a democracy, with a freedom largely to choose what to do and not what to do. Debtor’s most of the time, choose not to pay you, because what is important to you, your money, is simply not important to them. If a debtor has the freedom to choose not to pay you, you conversely have the freedom to make them pay you. By this we mean, commence legal action, obtain a judgment and proceed to a civil remedy which will make your debtor pay you. Take away the excuses, the disrespect and in some way, albeit through the Court, instil values back into your debtors by making them accept their moral and legal obligations to you and to society, by making them pay you.

Often the cost of legal action is the cheapest action in the long run.

Disclaimer: This is not legal advice. Do not act upon anything contained in this article without first taking independent legal advice.