Hello will19,

so sorry you are dealing with this. It sounds very stressful for you. I do not think you are a fool. I think you are in a complicated situation and not sure what to do. The reality is that once we give money away, to anyone, we may or may not have it returned to us. There is always a risk. Much like telling someone a secret. They may or may not repeat it to others.

If you cannot live with the idea that you may never see that money again, I think you could try asking your sister to sign a specific written agreement to return X amount in whatever time frame seems reasonable to you. Verbal agreements do not stand up legally. So you can either wait and see while hoping for the best. Or try to establish a written agreement with repayment plan with her now. Do you think she would be willing to sign that?

Loaning a vast sum of money to a family member may lead to different outcomes. With major decisions like that, it may be helpful to ask yourself: "am I willing to tolerate every potential outcome here?" The problem with loaning a family member (or friend) a great deal of money is if it does not go as hoped (never returned or only partially or very delayed), the relationship may be destroyed by the shock and resentment.

Just some ideas to think about for the future. That said, what's done is done. No, that does *not make you a fool. In the worst possible scenario (who knows if that will actually happen) if you don't get any of your money back, you will have a clear idea of how to proceed in the future. You could also consult with an attorney now about a possible written agreement...perhaps they could assist you with trying to accomplish that?

I really hope you get your money back And congratulations on selling your condo! Peace, hope, and a bright future to you!