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It's not about whether it's "legally" yours (and even that would be up for dispute) but how you acquired it. You can't threaten somebody to get things, that's e

It's not about whether it's "legally" yours (and even that would be up for dispute) but how you acquired it. You can't threaten somebody to get things, that's extortion

tingletech 7y ago
extortion usually involves a threat of force, this sounds more like blackmail?
- unlinked_dll 7y ago
  blackmail is extortion
- ndzig 7y ago
  Perhaps "harm to reputation" as the GP says?
kick 7y ago
Sometimes moral law and legality differ, and I think he was on the right side of moral law.
- dannypgh 7y ago
  This is a complex situation, because another party is involved: the parents. The ethics and morality of accepting a payment (even if it also satisfies a debt) to let the son continue to defraud his parents is certainly something that reasonable people can debate.
  - wolco 7y ago
    By informing the parents you are getting involved in a situation you don't understand. The fraud could be reasonable based on previous actions. Parents know but there is nothing they can do at the moment so they decide to let it slide and confront in person when they make a surprise visit. Telling both parties changes that and removes the parents ability to ambush.
tzs 7y ago
I suspect that this is reading too much into it. As noted by another commenter above: > "Most states define extortion as the gaining of property or money by almost any kind of force or threat of violence, property damage, harm to reputation, or unfavorable government action." Under your interpretation, if Alice took Bob's lawn mower without permission and refused to return it, and Bob told her he would call the police and report this unless she returned it, that would be extortion. The police coming and arresting Alice for theft is an unfavorable government action from Alice's viewpoint. Similarly, if you were contemplating suing someone for damages over a harm you felt they did to you, it would be extortion if you told them you were going to sue to so unless they agreed to settle.
Hamuko 7y ago
If I get something that I own back, I wouldn't say that qualifies as "gaining" something.

It's not about whether it's "legally" yours (and even that would be up for dispute) but how you acquired it. You can't threaten somebody to get things, that's extortion

tingletech 7y ago

extortion usually involves a threat of force, this sounds more like blackmail?

unlinked_dll 7y ago
blackmail is extortion
ndzig 7y ago
Perhaps "harm to reputation" as the GP says?

kick 7y ago

Sometimes moral law and legality differ, and I think he was on the right side of moral law.

dannypgh 7y ago
This is a complex situation, because another party is involved: the parents. The ethics and morality of accepting a payment (even if it also satisfies a debt) to let the son continue to defraud his parents is certainly something that reasonable people can debate.
- wolco 7y ago
  By informing the parents you are getting involved in a situation you don't understand. The fraud could be reasonable based on previous actions. Parents know but there is nothing they can do at the moment so they decide to let it slide and confront in person when they make a surprise visit. Telling both parties changes that and removes the parents ability to ambush.

tzs 7y ago

I suspect that this is reading too much into it. As noted by another commenter above: > "Most states define extortion as the gaining of property or money by almost any kind of force or threat of violence, property damage, harm to reputation, or unfavorable government action." Under your interpretation, if Alice took Bob's lawn mower without permission and refused to return it, and Bob told her he would call the police and report this unless she returned it, that would be extortion. The police coming and arresting Alice for theft is an unfavorable government action from Alice's viewpoint. Similarly, if you were contemplating suing someone for damages over a harm you felt they did to you, it would be extortion if you told them you were going to sue to so unless they agreed to settle.

Hamuko 7y ago

If I get something that I own back, I wouldn't say that qualifies as "gaining" something.