Qaz, my friend, I know you acted with good faith, and maybe your friend did at the beginning, but I think you will find that the tables have turned. To the masses us Landlords are "rich", (regardless of whether we actually are) which is probably why he targeted you in the first place.
He may have genuinely thought he could pay you back, but I think you will find that his priorities have changed. Like someone else mentioned, the most important thing in his mind right now will be the upcoming wedding. How much are they spending on the wedding? How is that being paid for? Does his fiance work? Is she aware that your friend owes you this money? What is her interity like?
Weddings will often attract a huge debt, and as that will most probably be put on the CC or maybe even a personal loan, then this will be first to be paid back.
Friendships also sometimes change after a marriage. For example, Hubby's best friend used to live nearby. After we got married, he moved to Wollongong (from Sydney) because I had purchased and was living in a house there. He still saw his best friend, but it was infrequently as we lived a fair distance apart.
Then several years later, his friend also married. We saw him even less by this time, as he now had another person who was his priority. We moved to Sydney (not to be closer to this friend) and are now living about 30min drive from where the friend and his wife live. We see this friend, maybe once a year if we are lucky.
Both couples have moved on, we both have other friends that we see regularly, and there are times that either us or them have suggested meeting up, but because we both have things happening in our lives, it is not possible.
I think you should just move on, painful as it may be, leaving your $22k as an expensive wedding gift.
He may have genuinely thought he could pay you back, but I think you will find that his priorities have changed. Like someone else mentioned, the most important thing in his mind right now will be the upcoming wedding. How much are they spending on the wedding? How is that being paid for? Does his fiance work? Is she aware that your friend owes you this money? What is her interity like?
Weddings will often attract a huge debt, and as that will most probably be put on the CC or maybe even a personal loan, then this will be first to be paid back.
Friendships also sometimes change after a marriage. For example, Hubby's best friend used to live nearby. After we got married, he moved to Wollongong (from Sydney) because I had purchased and was living in a house there. He still saw his best friend, but it was infrequently as we lived a fair distance apart.
Then several years later, his friend also married. We saw him even less by this time, as he now had another person who was his priority. We moved to Sydney (not to be closer to this friend) and are now living about 30min drive from where the friend and his wife live. We see this friend, maybe once a year if we are lucky.
Both couples have moved on, we both have other friends that we see regularly, and there are times that either us or them have suggested meeting up, but because we both have things happening in our lives, it is not possible.
I think you should just move on, painful as it may be, leaving your $22k as an expensive wedding gift.