How long can a debt collector attempt to collect a debt?

In California, the amount of time a debt collector has to attempt to collect a debt is known as the statute of limitations. This is a law that limits the amount of time a creditor or debt collector can use to try to collect a debt from a debtor. In California, the statute of limitations for most debts such as credit card bills or medical bills is 4 years. This means that the debt collector has 4 years from the date of the debtor’s last payment or the date of the agreement to try to collect the debt. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, there is a longer statute of limitation period for certain types of debts such as a mortgage or home equity loan. In those cases, the debt collector has 10 years to try to collect the debt. In addition, when a debtor files for bankruptcy, the statute of limitation is “tolled” or paused during the bankruptcy period. This means that the debt collector may not attempt to collect the debt during this time. It is important to note that after the statute of limitations has expired, the debt collector may still contact you. However, they cannot take any legal action to collect the debt such as filing a lawsuit. If you are contacted by a debt collector after the statute of limitations has expired, you should let them know that the debt is no longer valid and that you are not responsible for it.

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