Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Massachusetts
Statute of Limitations on debt collection
Hello,
I was just contacted by an acquisition company claiming that they were contacted to collect a debt that is more than 15 years old. I was under the impression that after 7 years, the debt gets wiped out. Is this company really allowed to collect on this? Do I have any rights here? And can you send me in the right direction so I can do some research on this, so I'll know my rights?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Statute of Limitations on debt collection
The debt is not "wiped out". However it is subject to what is called the "statute of limitations", which means that a creditor is usually limited to six (not seven) years within which it can enforce the debt in court. After the time limitation passes, it cannot be enforced in court, but they can, of course, still harass you to try to collect it. If the harassment gets to be too much, you can threaten the collector with action under the Fair Debt Collection Practices act (a federal law) and that often makes them go away. If not, contact a lawer and he or she will help you. Good luck!
Related Questions & Answers
Looking for something else?
10,200 active attorneys ready to answer your legal questions today.
Featured Attorneys
Earn additional revenue and grow your business.
