Is there a statute of limitations on past credit card debt?
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Is there a statute of limitations on past credit card debt?
I have a collection agency calling and mailing me to collect on a credit card from 8 years ago. Can they still collect on that money?
Asked on April 17, 2012 under Bankruptcy Law, Colorado
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
The issue is where could they sue you. A credit card company (or a collections agency acting on its behalf) could sue you in your state; it could likely sue in the state the credit card company is based in; and it could potentially sue you in any state where the credit card agreement had provided that it could. (Contracts can specify the venue, or place for a lawsuit.) While in many states, like your own (Colorado), the statute of limitations, or time to sue, for a credit card debt is less than 8 years, there are some states where the statute of limitations is 10 years or more. Therefore, while thhere is a very good chance that it is too late for you to be sued over this debt, it is impossible to say for sure without knowing where they might look to bring a lawsuit.
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