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What is the statute of limitations for a phone bill and can they legally collect after the time is up?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
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Basically, if you owe the money, you should pay it--they provided a service and you used it. Statutes of limitation vary by state--most cell phone companies require a signature on a written agreement, which may increase the time they have to obtain payment. Be sure to view your credit report at least yearly to be certain that only accounts you have signed up for are there. You can get other companies to sell you a phone contract, but if you choose to return to the company you owe sometime in the future, they will expect to be paid.
See the link to a site that lists statutes of limitations for the different states.
Answer
Also SOL on phone services is 2 years, so if a collection agency is trying to collect and it is past SOL, they are in violation... you can sue for $1000 per violation. Remember to create a paper trail so you can prove violation... send a validation letter to the Collector via Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested (so you have proof of contact) and shortly after receipt dispute through EXP, TU and EQ. Chance are the violations will build up. And they wont have ground to stand on, in which case you then send an Intent to Sue letter.. and Viola! Tradelines deleted because they would rather not pay for the violations. And if they refuse... Sue them. They will be forced to settle for breaking the law, and you will get your way anyway. But it will not go that far... AND NEVER PAY THEM OR TALK TO THEM ON THE PHONE! Everything needs to be communicated through the mail.
Actually there more be more reasons than what you think is obvious for a person to ask this question. I asked this same question for Michigan and it isn't because i didn't pay my bill it is because someone used my information to get a phone years ago without my knowledge and it is on my CR and I am told that even if I pay it to get it off, it will still remain on my file as collection paid. So, I am looking at all angles to get this account off my report.
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∙ 12y ago
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What is the statute of limitations on unpaid phone bill in North Carolina?
what is the North Carolina statue of limitations for utility bills
How long does it take for a debt collection agency to collect a debt?
A debt collector can attempt to collect on a debt for as long as she wants. She cannot, however, bring legal action against you once the statute of limitations has expired. At this point, she may still attempt to contact you by phone and written correspondence, but that is legally the extent of the actions.
Cell phone bill almost 8 years old that a collection agency just started calling aboutcan they still collect after all this time?
You need to check the law on this - find out what the statute of limitations are on unpaid (phone) bills.
Statute of limitations on phone bills in California?
Each jurisdiction sets its own statute of limitations. This would be a debt with a written agreement. It could be anything from 2 years all the way up to 10 years. It would start on the last communications from the user.
What is the statute of limitations in fl for cell phone bills?
The statute of limitations for a written contract or promissory note is 5 years. Keep in mind that time limit starts from the due date of your first missed payment.
What is the statute of limitations on a cell phone bill in Louisiana?
The statute of limitations on a cell phone bill in Louisiana is 3 years. This means that a request should be sent to the company stating that the debt is no longer owed.
What is the statute of limitations on mobile phone debt?
From my understanding most Cellular phone debt should fall under the statute of writen contracts because you sign a contract to begin service. I suggest contacting an atourney to verify this information.
What are the statute of limitations on unpaid home phone bills in Alabama?
As long as the phone is still in use, there is no limitation. If the phone is no longer being used, it could be 3 or 6 years depending on the type of contract.
What is the statute of limitation on a ticket for driving while on a cell phone in NY state?
A traffic ticket is a notice of violation. The statute of limitations is to prevent one from being accused of a crime when the witnesses may no longer be available and defense difficult. In this case, you have already been notified of the violation and have not defended against it in the time allotted. As such, a traffic ticket does not expire and is not subject to a statute of limitations.
What is the Rhode Island statute of limitations for medical bills?
What is the RI statute of limitations for medical bills? I received a notice from an attorney stating that a law suit against my husband is being made to secure payment of a hospital bill. My husband died April 5, 2005 and we never received a bill of any kind or a phone call informing us that a bill was owed.
What is Statute of limitations of debts in MS?
It varies in most states based on the instrument that created the debt. Missouri has set a single rule for all types. Written agreements, including Promissory notes, Oral agreements and open ended accounts (the credit cards) are all set at 3 years.
What is the statute of limitations in Iowa for filing a medical malpractice suit?
If you owe a medical bill, you always owe it. There is no "statute" of limitations. If the medical provider gets a judgement against you, that judgement gets recorded on your credit report(s) (eg. Experian, Equifax, TransUnion). According to fair credit laws in your state, that judgement may have to be removed from your report(s) after a certain period of time, such as 7 or 10 years. But you still owe the money. Some debts are "charged off" after a while by creditors, just to get them off the books. If that happens, you are forgiven that date. Then, once the bad debt is removed from your credit report(s), it is as if you never had that debt. Actually, there is a statute of limitations on medical and other bills. Whoever wrote the answer above is not totally correct. Each state differs, but in Iowa, it is generally 5 years. Yes, if you owe a bill, you technically always owe it, unless the creditor "forgives" the debt. However, there is a statute of limitations as to how long they can take you to court and collect on it. In Iowa, for example, if you have a medical bill from say 2004, and it is still with the collection agency who is trying to collect on it, there is nothing they can do to you to force you to pay it. They can harass and threaten you all they want, but they have no legal recourse. It takes a court order to garnish your wages, so if your case never went to court, and it's over 5 years old, they cannot take it into court. Well, let me correct that - they can try, but all you have to do is show up for the court date (alone, no expensive attorney needed), and tell the judge that the bill is over 5 years old, and past the statute of limitations for collecting, and the judge will have no choice but to dismiss the case. Now the collection agency is out even more money, and they still can't collect on your debt. It is always best to avoid the whole court thing though, and just send the collection agency a letter letting them know that they are trying to collect on a debt that is past the statute of limitations in your state, and that you know there is nothing they can do to you legally, so they may as well save their money and quit bothering you with letters and phone calls. Now, they were correct on the credit report entry. Even if your state has a 5 year statute of limitation, and the bill cannot be collected on in court, it will still remain on your credit report until it is 7 years old, and then it will drop off.
