Legal Notice for Recovery of Loan (Friendly Loan) Format
A loan recovery legal notice demands that a borrower repay money you lent — often a friendly or hand loan — within a fixed period, usually 15 days, with interest. It records the loan and the default, and is the usual first step before a summary suit under Order XXXVII CPC. Act within three years of the loan or its last acknowledgment.
When to send this notice
Use this notice when you lent money to a friend, relative, business associate or employee — by bank transfer, cheque or cash against a receipt or promissory note — and the borrower has stopped responding or keeps postponing repayment. If the borrower also gave you a cheque that bounced, use the Section 138 cheque bounce format for that cheque in addition.
Statutory basis
A loan is a contract enforceable under the Indian Contract Act, 1872. Under the Limitation Act, 1963, a suit for money lent must generally be filed within three years from when the loan was made (Articles 19 and 21), or, where the loan is repayable on a fixed date or on a promissory note, from the date fixed for payment; a written acknowledgment of the debt signed by the borrower before limitation expires starts a fresh three-year period (Section 18). A suit on a written contract or promissory note can be filed as a summary suit under Order XXXVII of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. Some States have Money-Lenders Acts that regulate people who lend money as a business — occasional friendly loans are usually outside them, but check the local law.
[ON THE LETTERHEAD OF THE ADVOCATE] By Registered Post A/D & Email Date: [DD/MM/YYYY] To, [Full Name of Borrower] [Complete Address] Subject: Legal notice for repayment of loan of Rs. [Principal Amount] advanced on [DD/MM/YYYY], with interest. Sir/Madam, Under instructions from my client, [Lender Name], of [Lender Address], I serve upon you the following notice: 1. That at your request, my client advanced to you a loan of Rs. [Principal Amount] on [DD/MM/YYYY] by [bank transfer UTR no. ___ / cheque no. ___ / cash against your receipt dated ___] for [purpose stated by the borrower]. 2. That you agreed to repay the loan [by DD/MM/YYYY / on demand / in instalments of Rs. ___] [with interest at ___% per annum], as recorded in [promissory note / loan agreement / messages dated ___]. 3. That despite repeated requests on [dates / modes], you have repaid only Rs. [Amount Repaid] and a sum of Rs. [Outstanding Amount] remains due as on date. 4. That [on DD/MM/YYYY you acknowledged the outstanding amount in writing by ___]. I therefore call upon you to pay my client Rs. [Outstanding Amount] together with interest at [rate]% per annum from [DD/MM/YYYY] until payment, within fifteen (15) days of receipt of this notice, failing which my client shall file a suit for recovery, including a summary suit under Order XXXVII of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, and pursue such other remedies as are available in law, at your risk as to costs and consequences. [Advocate Name] [Enrolment No. / Contact]
Replace every [placeholder] with your own details before use.
How to send this legal notice
From draft to proof of delivery and the next legal step.
Collect proof of the loan: bank statements, cheque copies, promissory note, receipt, or messages acknowledging it.
Work out the outstanding principal and interest, and check the three-year limitation from the loan date or last acknowledgment.
Draft the notice with the date, amount and mode of the loan, the repayment terms and the demand.
Send it on advocate letterhead by Registered Post A/D and email, keeping delivery proof.
Diarise the 15-day deadline and any reply received.
If unpaid, file a recovery or summary suit before limitation expires.
Frequently asked questions
Can I recover a friendly loan given in cash?
Yes, if you can prove it — a signed receipt, promissory note, witness or written acknowledgment helps. Note that the Income-tax law restricts large cash loans and repayments, so take advice if a significant cash amount was involved.
How long do I have to recover a loan?
Generally three years under the Limitation Act, 1963, counted from when the loan was made or fell due. A written, signed acknowledgment of the debt by the borrower within that period restarts the clock.
Can I file a criminal case for an unpaid loan?
Non-repayment of a loan is ordinarily a civil matter. A criminal complaint for cheating under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 is maintainable only if there was dishonest intention at the time the money was taken, which must be shown on facts.
Related notice formats
Cheque Bounce Legal Notice (Section 138 NI Act) Format
Debt & RecoveryMSME Delayed Payment Legal Notice Format (MSMED Act)
Property & TenancyEviction Notice to Tenant (Notice to Quit) Format
EmploymentLegal Notice for Unpaid Salary / Wages Dues Format
ContractsLegal Notice for Breach of Contract Format
Reputation & TortsLegal Notice for Defamation Format
From template to tracked notice
Draft from approved formats, dispatch with delivery proof, and get reminded before the reply window closes, then turn an unanswered notice into a case in one click.
