Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Georgia
i had a student loan from 1987 and it was in new jersey. new jersey higher education. now its with a collection agency in albany new york. i live in georgia now.i just noticed it on my credit report. with the balance showing 4,500. and the lawyers collecting the debt is soloman and soloman. and the say it will continue to grow. i made arrangements with them through out the years but fell off. i am considering making arrangements again. whats your take on this? i dont have a jugdement with them.
3 Answers from Attorneys
You owe it and have to pay it and it keeps accruing interest. What else did you need to know?
Pretty simple - do whatever it takes to pay it off. It will follow you forever, and continue to accrue interest and fees.
Most student loans (if they are federal loans and not private loans) are not subject to a statute of limitation. In most instances the debt cannot be discharged in bankruptcy absent special circumstances. Your income can be garnished for student loans, even without a judgment, albeit with a hearing and notice to you.
All of this means that student loans will stay with you until you die. Your best bet would be to negotiate some kind of payment arrangement with them. Get the terms of the agreement in writing before you send them any money. After that it is up to you to keep good records. There are plenty of free amortization calculators out there. You will have to keep tabs on what you pay and how it is allocated to interest and principal. And the firm probably will not send you a monthly bill so it will be up to you to remember to send in the payment in a timely manner.
Since the loan was taken out in New Jersey, it may be governed by New Jersey law (Solomon & Solomon is a debt collection law firm from New York). You would be best served by consulting with a New Jersey attorney in that case. It does not matter that you now are in Georgia. If the loan was taken out in New Jersey, then it probably is subject to either New Jersey law or federal law covering student loans.