Question from a reader:
I had plans to visit a friend who lives far away, and I also made dinner plans with someone who lives nearby. However, I missed my flight and had to buy a ticket at double the price, so I informed them that I probably wouldn’t be able to make it to dinner. They replied, “Don’t worry about
it, just come!” and in the end, I was treated to dinner. However, this person has bipolar disorder and later asked me to pay them back. I had asked them to choose the restaurant, but at their acquaintance’s place, the soup and hamburger alone cost 15,000 yen. Although they insisted, “Don’t worry about it!” when I tried to buy some cosmetics I had forgotten, they paid for it without my consent. Ultimately, I was charged 25,000 yen, and I was rumored to be someone who wouldn’t pay back others. I felt threatened when they said they would come over, which led me to pay the money. In this case, does it fall under fraud or extortion?

Friendship and Legal Troubles: Considering Your Case

Now, let’s think about a somewhat nerve-wracking episode. I had plans to visit a friend who lives far away, and I also had dinner plans with someone who lives nearby. However, my plans went awry due to a missed flight, and I ended up being treated to dinner by that person. The subsequent developments seem to have been quite troublesome. While considering the circumstances and emotions of the friend, I would like to analyze this case from a legal perspective.

Clarifying the Situation

First, let’s clarify the situation. In this case, you were invited to dinner, but although you initially informed them that you couldn’t go, you ended up participating due to your friend’s encouragement of “Don’t worry about it, just come!” After that, you were charged more than you expected, and you were troubled by rumors and threatening behavior from them. It’s necessary to think about how such a situation is handled both in terms of friendship and legally.

Financial Transactions and Legal Aspects

At the core of this issue is the “financial transaction.” It’s important to determine whether your friend treated you to dinner or intended to charge you for it later. Under Japanese law, financial transactions between friends are generally regarded as contractual. In other words, unless there is a clear agreement, it is difficult for a friend to demand money from you. However, it’s crucial to note that you were influenced by the situation and your friend’s emotions at that time. If the other person has bipolar disorder, their emotions and thoughts can also have an impact. Even if their words of “Come!” were an invitation for you, they could also be interpreted as an excuse for them to collect money later.

Definitions of Fraud and Extortion

Before considering whether your situation falls under “fraud” or “extortion,” let’s clarify the definitions of each. Fraud refers to the act of deceiving others to unlawfully obtain property. This means creating a situation that leads the other party to misunderstand, thereby taking their money. Extortion is the act of demanding money from someone through threats, utilizing a situation that instills fear in the other person. In your case, it is crucial to understand the intent behind your friend’s statement of wanting you to “pay them back.”

Your Emotions and Psychological Aspects

What’s interesting here is the psychological aspect of your friend’s bipolar disorder. Individuals with bipolar disorder often experience significant emotional fluctuations, which can lead to unexpected behaviors or misunderstandings. If you value your relationship with your friend, it’s understandable that you would feel the difficulty of “refusing” in such a situation. Moreover, when your friend said, “Don’t worry about it!” it’s challenging to determine whether their words were genuinely well-intentioned or if they were a pretext for later demands. This might have created a situation where you couldn’t prioritize your feelings and say, “No, it’s fine.”

Legal Advice

From a legal perspective, whether the 25,000 yen you paid truly falls under “fraud” or “extortion” is quite a nuanced matter. The focus will be on whether the other party threatened you or clearly intended to deceive you. If your friend engaged in threatening behavior towards you, it could potentially qualify as extortion. However, unless there is evidence that your friend forced you to do something, proving this would be difficult. Additionally, whether you paid the money out of fear or because you wanted to maintain your relationship with your friend will also be evaluated from an emotional standpoint.

In Conclusion

In such a complex situation, how the money you paid to maintain your relationship with your friend is treated is indeed a difficult issue. If you feel that you are a victim of “fraud” or “extortion,” I strongly recommend seeking legal advice from a professional. What’s important is not to ignore your feelings and to make the right judgment. Friendships are valuable, but please don’t forget your own rights and emotions. To prevent such troubles from happening again, it’s crucial to communicate and discuss things thoroughly in advance. How did that sound? I hope it helped clear up some of your mental fog. If anything comes up, feel free to consult me again.