Hello, I googled the internet and just found here, thank god! Please help~~ any input is welcom!!
The story:
I lent $10Kto a friend of mine in July and she promised to pay me back around Dec. In early December, right before i went on vacation, she emailed me that he would wired the money to my bank account. Unfortunately, I found out that she didn't keep his words after I came back from vacation. Plus she has been not answering my phone call and replying my email for several days so I was getting really worried.
Finally I got to talked with her today by phone but she said she has no money to pay me right now and would pay me back sometime in the future. The problem is that she is just about leave the country (probably in Jan). So I am really worried that she would default this loan.
Questions:
1. What can I do to force her pay me back before she leaves?
2. Should I go to file claims in the small claim court?
3. If she leaves the country eventually and will not come back, is there anything that I can do here in the US?
By the way, she is an immigrant and may not come back to the States forever. She is now living in a different state as I am.
Thanks very much!!

