What the receipt must contain
A receipt, «расписка», confirms a loan agreement (Art. 808 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, GK RF). To stand up in court, it must include:
- full names and passport details of the borrower and the lender;
- the amount in figures and in words;
- wording that the money was received as a loan (and not, say, as a gift or payment for work);
- the repayment date;
- a clause on interest or an explicit statement that the loan is interest-free;
- the date, place and the borrower's signature.
Interest on the loan
If the receipt says nothing about interest, the lender may claim interest at the Central Bank key rate for the whole time the money was used (Art. 809 GK RF). The exception is a loan between individuals of up to 100,000 ₽ not connected with business: by default it is interest-free. To avoid disputes, the builder always states the interest terms explicitly.
If the debt is not repaid
For late payment you can recover a penalty if the receipt provides for one, or interest under Art. 395 GK RF — work it out with the penalty calculator. The limitation period is 3 years from the day the debt should have been repaid. For amounts up to 500,000 ₽ you can apply to a magistrate for a court order.
Filled-in example
This is how the finished document looks with sample data. All names and details are fictitious.