Legal Question in Criminal Law in New York

I have a question about one of my relatives forging a letter in my name. This is in regards to money my Aunt and cousin had lent my family for home repairs a few years ago. The amount is for $36,000 and mind you, they never gave us any receipts as to what we actually owed them. Every time we asked, conveniently they could not find them. Since we owed the money, we began sending them $100 a month. Let me point out that this was a verbal agreement and nothing was written down at the time. The total we were able to send them was $800. But then we had other financial obligations that came up. In 2002, we sent them a letter explaining our financial situation, and informed them that we would resume the initial payment plan once we got on our feet again. Yesterday, we received a nasty note from my Aunt and cousin demanding their money and them wanting to resume the original payment plan that was started. I know that we owe a debt and we are working on sending them the money. My concern was a letter that was included with the nasty note they had written, which was in my cousin's handwriting with my name written at the end of this letter. I know a letter, which has nothing to do with the financial issue we already have with them, is not a legal document that may fall under the guidelines of forgery. But can I still press charges against her just for the mere fact of putting my name on a letter that I clearly did not write?


Asked on 4/29/10, 8:04 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Joel Salinger Law Office of Joel R. Salinger

This letter only becomes a forgery when the other party attempts to use it for any purpose that can be seen as enforcing the fraudulent document. Outside of that, it is not illegal.

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Answered on 5/04/10, 9:51 pm


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