Friend owes money, is this enough proof?

[jamie]

Ok, so my friend for the past 5 years (Since we were 14, now nearly 19), owes me $1000. I have lent him money in the past and he has always paid it back. It's always been through text message.

So on the 3rd of December he asked to borrow $1000, knowing I have a bit of money saved to buy a car that I'm not spending anytime soon. He said he would be able to start paying me back on the 16th, $250 a week for 4 weeks.
On the 20th of December I noticed he was going on a week long holiday and hadn't messaged me and hadn't started paying me back either, so I messaged him and asked what the go is, but he said he got messed around with his job and is starting a new one on the 12th of January. I got angry that he hadn't bothered to tell me and so he got all butt hurt that he didn't like how I approached the matter and said he doesn't wanna talk to me after I get my money back.

3rd of January I asked if he was still starting a job on the 12th and he said he's just waiting on a call.
11th of January I asked if he's starting work tomorrow and he said, that both of us have gotten our jobs back at a place we were both fired for stupid reasons from, the hiring girl who is his sister just had to write up a contract and get it signed etc etc. Then he pushed it back another week saying it should be soughted out next wednesday. I asked him a that wednesday afternoon (3 days ago) and he said he hadn't talked to his sister yet.

Still haven't heard anything but he's made several posts on Facebook and sent several Snapchats showing that he is still spending money places, working on his car and even a wallet full of $50's and $100's with the caption saying my shout. Which he claimed was his dads when I asked him over Snapchat.

What can I do about this? Can I take him to court? How much would that cost? Would it be worth it to get $1000 back and would it be guaranteed to win? I can find other transactions where I have lent him money and he's paid it back. However due to getting a new phone late lat year I don't have the txt messages of him asking to borrow, but I do have the transactions through my bank.
Please don't tell me I shouldn't lend money to friends, just need an answer.

[♬ Daymaker]

You should better than to lend money to friends. It always ends bad. Make sure any amount you "lend" is an amount you're willing to write off as a loss.

[FirstL]

If you truly wanted and expected your friend to pay you back, you should have made him sign a contract. That's just the smart way to lend money. I agree that any money loaned to friends should be written off as a loss whether they say they will pay you back or not.

[Yeti]

Even if you take him to court and get a judgement, they can't force him to pay if he doesn't have the money, or if he's earning below a certain level.

You're probably best off trying to work with your friend to get paid. Hopefully he'll get funds together sooner or later. And in the process, you'll just naturally get him acknowledging he owes you money, etc. -- so save the communication in case things drag on for years.

And this is indeed why you don't lend money to friends. You shouldn't really expect to get it back anytime soon, if at all. If your friends really need money let them use their credit cards, or borrow from the bank, or work with their family, etc. Or at least get collateral. Or keep the amounts low. Anyway, you're not guaranteed to get your money even if you "win" in court. You'll be guaranteed to lose your friend though.