A debt is a debt, regardless of collection efforts – Daily Herald

Dear Jeanne & Leonard:

Ten years ago my brother “Jack” and I each lent our brother “Don” $5,000 so he could wipe out his gambling debts. Don promised to pay us back, but he never really did. Over the years, he paid me a total of $2,500 and Jack $500. The reason I received more is that periodically I’d press Don to repay me, but Jack never did. Last year Don died, leaving a modest bank account and no will. Jack and I are his only family, and Jack thinks that since I got more money from Don than he did, we should compensate for that when we divide the bank account. But I had to put up with a lot of grief to get the money I did out of D…