Breeder Trade Gone Wrong - a doozey of a story

[wolfy-hound]

Since you agreed to the lesser amount of $550, that's what you're entitled to now.

You're not entitled to any compensation for Paypal fees, especially since you pointed him to Paypal, and you should have known they charge 3%, it's part of accepted loss using their service.

Since you signed to feed and care for his snake, you cannot charge him for food or vet care, especially not for vet care for your own animals, since you agreed to whatever quarantine procedures you felt needed to protect your animals.

When your snake died, if you wanted to not pay for his male's upkeep, you should have returned him then. Of course, then you'd have no bargaining chip, so it's understandable to not return the only collateral you had.

At this point, you should decide if his male is equivalent to the $350 he still owes you. Only the original condition of the male should be considered in your value estimation, to be fair, since you're the one that's been caring for it all this time. If you felt it was the same value as your lost snake, and valuable enough to bring it into your breeding program, it must have some value, and you've gotten $200(the Paypal fee is yours to absorb, you can't deduct that fairly, by Paypal's own rules, in fact, unless previously agreed upon).

Going to small claims court isn't likely to gain you anything. If you did win, you'd have spent a ton of your time and money, and he's not any more likely to have the money to pay you then than he has it now.

Keep his snake, and if needed, sell it(as long as it's healthy)for the money he owes you(after sending him a legal letter stating you are willing to keep the snake as payment for the remaining $350). If he's selling most of his collection for money, he should be happy to not have to send you cash he apparently doesn't have.

If you're dead set on him paying you that $350, I'd tell him you will be considering posting on the BOI, and send him a legal letter stating he has XX time to repay the remaining funds.