The Statute of Limitations & Debt Collection
The statute of limitations is the time period set by law in which someone can sue you. In the debt collection context, a creditor or bill collector cannot sue you for payment of a debt after the applicable statute of limitations period has run. It's important to understand what the statute of limitations is in your state and for various types of debts, how you might unwittingly restart the time period to sue, and what you can do if a collector or creditor tries to sue you after the statute has run.
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Time-Barred Debts: When Creditors and Collectors Cannot Sue You for Unpaid Debts
After a period of time, creditors lose the right to sue you forunpaid debts.
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Debt Scavengers and Zombie Debt
Learn how to avoid the horror story of debt collection harassment over old "zombie" debt.
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Learn when you might get sued for delinquent credit card debt, steps in the lawsuit, and how to defend against it.
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Know the time limits for filing a lawsuit (statutes of limitations) in your state.
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The statute of limitations ran out on my credit debt. Can the collection agency still contact me?
If the statute of limitations has run out, the collector cannot sue you but can contact you about payment.
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I settled with a creditor on an old debt. Does the statute of limitations prevent it from suing me?
If you agree to make payments on an old debt, you may revive or extend the statute of limitations.
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