Madison, WI asked in Collections for Wisconsin

Q: After billing how long does a business or collection agency have before the bill is no longer viable?

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1 Lawyer Answer
Rachel Lea Hunter
Rachel Lea Hunter
Answered
  • Collections Lawyer
  • Cary, NC

A: They have until the expiration of the statute of limitations. I am not licensed in Wisconsin - some states have 3 years (like NC) or 4 years (like PA) or 6 years (like GA).

Wisconsin seems to be 6 years, but I am not certain what kind of debt this is (credit card or other) and it may be a shorter or longer time.

Statutes of limitations are tricky things. Where was the debt incurred? Was it WI or somewhere else? Have you ever left WI? What does the state tolling statute say if so? If the debt was incurred in another state, what does that state's tolling statute say? Was this for a credit card debt or personal loan or a medical debt? If a credit card or personal loan, you may need to read the agreement to see whether it says that the law of a particular state will govern. Some states do say this and in that case you would need to know the law of that state as well as its tolling statute.

I don't expect you to know the answers or even know what a tolling statute is. I would check with a consumer law or credit card defense attorney in your state for starters.

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