Can a company press charges after I signed a promissory note promising to pay back the money I owe?
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Can a company press charges after I signed a promissory note promising to pay back the money I owe?
I recently got fired at my job for making markdown tickets and ringing up
merchandise that is not the original price. The amount came to $847. I signed a
promissory note agreeing the pay the money back in a specific time frame. I
apologized and they let me free the same night. I did loose my job. I am afraid
that this will be on my background check, and they will prosecute me. The loss
prevention employees seemed glad that I agreed to pay the money back. They
told me that they will not get the authority’s involved. I am still very scared to what
will happen in the future. I plan on paying the money back right away.
Asked on October 10, 2018 under Employment Labor Law, Ohio
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
Technically, they could: an agreement to repay stolen money (and that's what you did: you stole from the store) does not mean that the original crime was not a crime. A criminal cannot commit a crime and, when caught, avoid punishment by repayment. So they could still press charges.
They are much less likely to do so, which involves some time and effort, if they get their money back--just because they *could* press charges does not mean they will. So your best bet is to fully honor your promissory note, so they don't have a reason to press charges.
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