Real estate investor William Haines, of Playa del Rey, was court-ordered last week to pay up on a $2,000 debt owed to West Los Angeles resident William Caskie.
Caskie told the court he loaned Haines $2,000 in March 2000 for a property deal in Mexico, with the promise that Haines would return $4,000 just three weeks later.
“He needed the cash so desperately, he offered to pay me back $4,000,” Caskie told the court. “I didn’t ask for (the additional $2,000).”
When the payment deadline came, Caskie said the money never came and Haines — who did not appear in court — couldn’t be reached.
Months later, he said he was contacted by an associate of Haines’who said Haines was “having trouble” with the Mexican government. The associate promised a check would arrive no later than October 2000.
But the money still didn’t come, so Caskie filed a lawsuit against Haines in small claims court.
Commissioner Donna Groman ruled against Haines for $2,544 — which equals the amount of the loan plus interest charges over the past 20 months and court costs. She did not award Caskie the extra $2,000 he claimed was owed to him.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 16, 2002. Read the original PDF.