Am I liable for paying a bill that I just received 20 months after my surgery?
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Am I liable for paying a bill that I just received 20 months after my surgery?
All other bills were paid in full. Do I have any recourse or is there a statue of limitations on this?
Asked on November 28, 2015 under Bankruptcy Law, Maine
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 9 years ago | Contributor
There is a statute of limitations, or time within which they must bring a legal action (which is important because once it is too late to sue, there is no way to enforce the debt, and the debtor can simply ignore it). Unfortunately, in a case like this, the statute of limitations in your state is 6 years: so they can bill you, and sue if necessary, up to 6 years after the surgery. Your belief is understandable and natural, but incorrect, unfortunately; on the other hand, whether they had billed you in 20 days or 20 months, it is still the same amount of money, so their tardiness is not costing you anything extra.
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