How long does my previous employer have to bill me for repaying tuition reimbursement?
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How long does my previous employer have to bill me for repaying tuition reimbursement?
I recently left a job where the employer paid for part of a degree I earned. In the union contract, it says that if I leave within 2 years of a course they paid for, I need to repay a certain percentage of what they paid. I have not received a bill and the contract does not specify when they will bill me for the repayment. Is there a set amount of time in which they must bill me?
Asked on September 15, 2012 under Employment Labor Law, Pennsylvania
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
If your obligation to repay is based on a contract, as you indicate, then the employer can take legal action against you any time within the "statute of limitations" (time to sue) for breach of contract. In your state, that is four years. Since the time period during which they can bill you is, for all practical purposes, defined by the statute of limitations--since after they can no longer take legal action, they could not force you to pay a bill--they can effectively bill you up to almost four years after you left employment (since they'd need to leave themselves enough time to sue if you do not pay).
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