(Contracts, medical bills, repossession, credit cards, purchases, etc.)
Creditors can pursue individuals for a limited period of time. This article sets out some of the more common time limits:
- In general, written contracts (see footnote)1: 10 years
- Oral contracts: 5 years
- Sale of goods (automobiles, furniture, natural gas): 4 years
- Store Credit: 4 years
- Credit cards in Illinois: 5 years
- Bad check penalties: 2 years
- Checks other than bad debt penalties: 3 years
- Money judgments: 7 years but can be revived up to a total of 27 years.
- Parking tickets and red light tickets: does not seem to have any time limit.
THE TIME WHEN THE STATUTE STARTS AND WHEN IT ENDS
- The time to start the clock is the later of the date of last payment or from the date of default.
- The statute of limitation is NOT restarted: if responding to a collection letter and disputing the debt.
- The statute of limitation is NOT restarted when a Debt Buyer attempts to collect.
Attempting to collect a time-barred debt MAY violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, if:
- a settlement or payment plan is offered, or
- if the attempt is misleading,
- Contact a consumer attorney and have them review the letters you received. This should not cost you anything.