A active military member owes me money and refuses to pay the balance of $1275. He paid half previously. He is stationed in japan and contacts to his supervisor has proved futile. How do I collect my money.
Thanks for the chance to help. I am an attorney with over 12 years military law experience.Threats to the supervisor are typically not going to be effective. They teach the commanders in the commanders course to ignore complaints from debt collectors and to force them to use the civil process. The commanders are good about doing just that. You have a few options1. You can wait for his return. Once he returns you can sue him to recover.2. You can file suit now and pay a lawyer to have him served in Japan. Japan is a member of the Hague Convention for Service of Process...so it is possible to have him served in Japan, but you would need to work with a lawyer.The good news is that his absence from the state will cause the statute of limitations to hold (not to run)...so you can want for him to return and that will not impact your ability to sue.
I live in Florida, can I file a small claims suit here and then get a lawyer in japan to serve him.
You can. But you need to work with a lawyer who understand the Hague Convention...since they need to work through the US Embassy in Japan to effect service. Its not complex...but you need a US not a Japanese lawyer to make this happen. Basically, you need a Florida lawyer who understands the Hague convention on service to help you effect service. They can help you ensure that you get proper serviceLet me know if you have more questions.