Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Virginia

Old personal property tax debt?

Hello,

I was recently contacted by mail by a collections agency regarding a very old personal property tax (car tax) debt (13+ years old) that I was not aware I owed. Given how long ago this debt was supposedly incurred, I have no records of what was paid back then (I thought I was current), I can't look up what dates the car was domiciled in that state (not the same state as I am in now), when the car was sold, etc etc. In fact, it is my suspicion that the tax office continued billing PPT even after I had already moved and sold the car.

It appears that in that state the statute of limitations for PPT is 15 years, which seems unreasonable -- especially without contact until now. In addition, the initial amount is now dwarfed by 4x by the interest and fees (again this seems unreasonable).

I am aware that I can request verification using FDCPA. However, given how long ago it was, I wouldn't be able to prove or disprove any evidence they presented.

My questions are,

- How best to proceed from here? Respond with FDCPA letter and request verification?

- What potential negative repercussions are there of refusing to pay this debt?

Thanks for any help!


Asked on 1/18/08, 10:10 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: Old personal property tax debt?

Yes, first respond with the request for credible verification and, then, depending upon what is(or is not) provided, decide where to go from there.(You may need to consult an attorney with experience in debt collection matters to assist you in making that decision.)

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Answered on 1/18/08, 10:53 pm


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