ELIMINATE CREDIT CARD DEBT. ARE YOU BEING HARRASSED BY DEBT COLLECTORS?
SOUTH FLORIDA DEBT SETTLEMENT ATTORNEYS
PROTECTING YOUR INTERESTS WITH CREDITORS
The statute of limitations is a rule that sets a time limit within which a creditor may sue you for payment of a debt. The length of time that a creditor has to sue you on an unpaid debt varies from state to state. In some states, it’s four years. In other states, it might be longer. The time limit may also depend on whether your agreement with the creditor is in writing or not, and whether the debt is a special type, like a revolving or open-ended account. To find out your state’s statute of limitations, see our state by state listing below.
If the time limit to sue on the old debt expired under your state’s statute of limitations, that does not mean that a creditor or bill collector must stop contacting you about it. They can ask you to pay the debt. They just can’t sue you (or threaten to sue you) for it.
Oral Contract: You agree to pay money loaned to you by someone, but this contract or agreement is verbal (i.e., no written contract, “handshake agreement”). Remember a verbal contract is legal, if tougher to prove in court.
Written Contract: You agree to pay on a loan under the terms written in a document that you and your debtor have signed.
Promissory Note: You agree to pay on a loan via a written contract, just like the written contract. The big difference between a promissory note and a regular written contract is that the scheduled payments and interest on the loan also is spelled out in the promissory note. A mortgage is an example of a promissory note.
Open-ended Accounts: These are revolving lines of credit with varying balances. The best example is a credit card account. Note: A credit card is ALWAYS an open account. This is established under the Truth-in-Lending Act.