A member of the Army Reserves owes me money for covering him with last month's rent and utilities. He won't pay. What are my options?
We all (4 of us) moved into a condo on Oct. 6, 2013. He paid his security deposit and the first month's pro-rated rent, as well as utilities. He is the only one of us that does not have a guarantor. However, this month (November), he told both myself and my housemates that he "would have the rent to the landlady by the fifth." We never heard anything more about it, so we assumed he did. However, on November 16, my landlady wrote to me, telling me that she had not yet received his payment of $875 for the month's rent. Because we are all on the lease, we are all responsible for the total $2750 monthly rent. I tried to get into contact with him, and eventually ended up writing a check for $875. I informed him he would need to pay me back the next day (November 17). He said he would. He did not. I then informed him he would need to pay me the next day (November 18). He did not. (This is all over text message, thus in writing. He refused to call me). I then informed him that he owed me November's rent ($875), the resulting overdraft charge from my bank account because the money had been pulled out ($25), and the November utilities ($59.97), and that the entire amount needed to be paid, in full, on Tuesday November 26. He said "yes" that he would pay it (again over text), and did not. He now is away on vacation (which seems suspicious considering his entire basis for owing me money is due to the government shutdown and him not receiving his military pay). He is in the Army Reserves. December rent is due December 1. What do I do? I do not have the funds to cover him again, and same with my other housemates. We do not want to be evicted, nor do we want to involuntarily pay for him. PLEASE HELP!!!
