Towards the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century the raisin crisis had led farmers of the northern Peloponnese into debt. In the following letter the guarantor of a loan complains because his own property has been confiscated rather than that of the debtor.

Application
by Anastasios Dafalias,
inhabitant of Mazeika in the province of Kalavryta
Mazeika, 3 June 1899
To the Governor of the National Bank of Greece
Athens

Mr Governor, ten years ago, Georgios Hronopoulos inhabitant of Kokovi borrowed under my own guarantee and two other persons from the Kalavryta branch of the National Bank the sum of five hundred drachmas; after the termination of this bill we were brought before the Court of the First Instance of Patra and no. 3484 of the year 1892 the final decision was issued - which has not been repealed. Ever since, however, Mr Governor, despite the credit standing of the principal debtor, Geor. Hronopoulos, and the large personal and landed property he possesses, the war for the payment of the above sum, interest and the legal expenses has been waged exclusively against me [...] my property has been confiscated and my chattels put up for auction (I have managed to postpone the auction until the coming 25th July).

If the principal debtor had been insolvent, I would raise no complaint against this ruthless pursuit, but when I see, Mr Governor, that the constraints placed upon the personal property of the principal debtor as of March 1898 for the settlement of his debt is not implemented but annulled, for which, following the order of the bank, I have paid the cost of confiscation for his personal property, sufficing in itself to cover the whole debt along with its appurtenances, [...] when my own property consists of a ground floor house, don't you think that I will raise a voice of complaint against this biased act? Is it fair and charitable, Mr Governor, that I myself be cut off from my house, the principal debtor, who possesses personal and landed property worth thirty thousand drachmas remains unpunished, in addition that his personal property confiscated on my expenses not be sold by auction?

Submitting this, Mr Governor, I entreat you to please take it into account and order to suspend any suit against me, and turn instead against the principal debtor Geor. Hronopoulos, of whom first the confiscated personal estate be sold in auction, taking into consideration that my property consisting only of the confiscated ground floor house is intended for the marriage of my daughter, otherwise she will not be able to get married.

Faithfully Anastasios Dafalias

Source: Kalafatis Th., Agrotiki pisti kai oikonomikos metashimatismos sti V. Peloponniso. Aigialeia teli 19ou aiona volume three, Pistotiko systima, oikonomia kai koinonia, Athens, National Bank Cultural Foundation (MIET), 1992, pp. 271-272.