how long after an unpaid bill can a collection agency attempt to collect?

Question

for example an outstanding phone bill from 1998

Answer 1

It does not matter if the debt is sold from collector to collector - it cannot legally be re-aged to report on your credit reports for longer than the "original" legal reporting time.
If it is re-aged and placed on your reports, you would have a legal right to sue them if they fail to remove it after it is disputed with the CRA's.

A collector can "try" to collect forever, unless you inform them that the alleged debt is no longer legally collectible.
If they continue to try to collect after being informed that the alleged debt is past SOL, you could have the legal right to sue them.

Phone bills generally fall under the UCC with a 4 year collecting SOL. Though some states do allow utilities to fall under the open account statutes if the open is a shorter time limit than the UCC.

As for having contact with them, which should always be done by mail and not by phone, as long as a person does not admit to the debt or agree to pay, the collecting SOL would not be re-set.
Not all states allow the collecting SOL to be re-set if there is an agreement to pay. The states that do usually require that the new agreement be made in writing

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Answer 2

anytime. However, it won't affect your credit seeing as how its from 1998, PROVIDING you don't make any contact with the agency. if they call you and you talk to them then the clock starts over and they can hit your credit again. be careful, companies like to screw over the little guy.

Answer 3

7 years is how long they're supposed to be allowed to retain the negative information on your credit report.

But creditors are sneaky, they now sell the debt to another collector, who then has 7 years starting from THAT date to attempt to collect, and continue to affect your credit score.


As to how long they can continue to attempt to collect, I don't believe there is a statue of limitations on a valid debt, unless you declare bankruptcy.