Should I Report a Do-Nothing Co-Worker?

My gardener is a attractive gentleman who life in a home with his spouse and two small children about a few blocks absent. About eight many years back, I hired him to reduce the grass along the boulevard in front of our property. He comes by when the grass demands slicing and does a magnificent work. At times I employ him for a large spring or slide property cleanup as nicely.

Due to the fact the beginning, he has been gradual to bill me for his perform. I to begin with agreed to fork out him at the time a thirty day period, but the invoices have been often late, and as the a long time wore on he commenced billing me after a yr for the whole summer’s get the job done. I advised him that was fine with me, if that was his desire. He often says he is making an attempt to get all around to his textbooks and will bill me quickly.

Ultimately, he stopped billing me completely. It has been two yrs due to the fact I have paid out him, through which time he has faithfully continued to minimize the grass. Sensation terrible about this, I wrote a check out for an quantity I figured was close to what I owe him and dropped it in his mailbox. That was two months back, and I have confirmed he acquired it. The test stays uncashed.

This is building me nuts as I despise owing persons cash and really feel I am getting gain of him. My husband laughs and tells me I’ve finished my very best to shell out him and to stop nagging the poor person. I never want to hearth him and employ the service of anyone else as it would possible hurt his emotions. He does very good perform, and at these costs, I definitely will not locate a superior price tag. But can I in good conscience let him keep on to work cost-free? Title Withheld

You just cannot power anyone to income a check out. And you cannot depart huge quantities of income in a mailbox. So the ball is now in his court. But there’s some attention-grabbing moral psychology right here. Persons often dislike staying indebted to other folks. In an odd way, it can make us come to feel that a particular patronage has been recognized: The man or woman in whose debt we are has place himself in a place to lord it over us. In some societies, folks experience this so strongly that they actively resent these who put them in their personal debt. You say you never like to come to feel as if you are using advantage, but some variation of this debt aversion may possibly nag at you as effectively. Test leaving a note that says: “Please cash my examine. Do it for my sake. I would be happier if I understood I experienced paid you for the excellent function you do.”

I lately frequented close friends at their home. They proudly showed me their antiques and art selection. Though I am not an antique dealer or art appraiser, I know that the jade horse was a cheap Chinese marble replica, as was 85 percent of their home furniture. The other 15 % could perhaps be as well. Here’s the problem: Realizing they just invested a compact fortune on a container load from Singapore on this rubbish and are most likely shielded by the insurance from the credit card, do I say something or retain my mouth shut? Name Withheld

While the sale of real antiques can in some cases contain moral and authorized complexities, this is generally a scenario of misrepresented products. Your close friends would possibly be humiliated by what you have to explain to them you’ll want to be diplomatic. But you would want to be alerted if you’d been taken, and you must inform your friends although the fraud is fresh new. Besides the particular protections their credit card could possibly offer, it’s value bearing in head that Singapore takes delight in its lawful process, and its authorities will look into such rates. If your friendship with the couple is legitimate, you’ll share your worry that their acquisitions aren’t.