Wage garnishments and collections

Nah, they aren't looking for any kind of compromise... we're talking about a local utility company in some small town, where the director is also a lawyer and all that—and I’m pretty sure he’s got a little side deal going with a notary who’s clearly making a killing this way... It's obvious they start pushing legal collections the second you're even a couple days late on a bill, just so they can rake in those sweet notary fees 🙂

Honestly, sometimes I just want to burn everything down and buy a one-way ticket as far away from this country as possible 🙂

Maria Palmer9 said:Nah, they aren't looking for any kind of compromise... we're talking about a local utility company in some small town, where the director is also a lawyer and all that—and I’m pretty sure he’s got a little side deal going with a notary who’s clearly making a killing this way... It's obvious they start pushing legal collections the second you're even a couple days late on a bill, just so they can rake in those sweet notary fees 🙂

Honestly, sometimes I just want to burn everything down and buy a one-way ticket as far away from this country as possible 🙂

Conclusion Inc.:
The foreclosure hit you, and then you filed an objection against it... now it's moved to civil court and the first hearing is already over, if I understood correctly... You claim one guy acts as the director, the lawyer, and everything else... Well, from my perspective, a real professional attorney would probably bury that self-proclaimed lawyer in no time, and once there's a final ruling, he'd end up owing you money... Of course, the question remains whether he'd bother hiring an attorney himself... But the most important thing is: is it even worth fighting over $200 plus maybe $100 in costs?
You didn't even mention if you actually paid the debt...
Just so you know... court costs grow exponentially... so if you insist on sticking this out, prepare for a potential bill of around $3.25.
As for the utility company, a group of citizens could always report them to the municipality they signed their contract with—which I assume was through some "public bidding" process...

I just received a notice regarding some unpaid utility fees. The debt is broken down into several different amounts based on the dates, and the oldest one actually has a due date of March 12, 2008. The rest of them date back to May 2012. This entire debt was left to us by my late father; my sister and I are the co-owners of the inherited apartment he left behind.
My question is, can I actually file a claim for the statute of limitations against this notice? Specifically, can I contest that oldest amount from 2008? And if so, what is the timeframe for doing that, considering they haven't even started any formal collection proceedings yet?

granitefalcon15 said:I just received a notice regarding some unpaid utility fees. The debt is broken down into several different amounts based on the dates, and the oldest one actually has a due date of March 12, 2008. The rest of them date back to May 2012. This entire debt was left to us by my late father; my sister and I are the co-owners of the inherited apartment he left behind.
My question is, can I actually file a claim for the statute of limitations against this notice? Specifically, can I contest that oldest amount from 2008? And if so, what is the timeframe for doing that, considering they haven't even started any formal collection proceedings yet?

Well, you certainly can, though I guess the debt might not necessarily be wiped clean right away—usually, that only happens once an actual judgment for enforcement is issued... Honestly, your best bet would probably be to try and negotiate. Personally, I would never write off a debt like that if I had the choice, even though I technically could—mostly because people just love to play games, and it really grinds my gears when someone tries to dodge what they owe! From my own experience, I’d likely jump straight to filing for enforcement, and then you end up paying double $67 for the hassle, and then you're complaining about double $17 for the service fees, so I might just write off the 2008 portion and somehow you still end up owing the same amount. Sorry, I've been in this line of work far too long and some things just get under my skin 🙂. But looking at it from a purely moral standpoint, you guys inherited a property, so you should have plenty of cash to cover the utilities.

On September 29th, I got hit with this email from Express Credit.
They’re claiming they’re collecting on behalf of T-Mobile, so I gave T-Mobile a call to verify—and yep, it’s actually true. CEP "bought" my debt from T-Mobile and now they're coming after me for it.

To whom it may concern,

I have absolutely never heard of your company, and I don't have any contract with you people. From here on out, any threats or nonsense needs to be sent exclusively via email!
And as for your pathetic claims that I was ever notified about this situation? You are dead wrong!
Where is the damn proof that you actually delivered anything to me?!?!?!
Furthermore, how the hell did you even get my number?!?!?!? Did you call 911 just to track me down?! No, you didn't! Getting my number through any other means is a total violation.
Let's keep going—what services am I even supposedly owing money for?!?!?! It doesn't say anywhere! After my endless calls trying to get an answer, I still haven't been able to get a single shred of information!

I demand!
Within 24 hours, provide me with documented proof justifying these claims!

After I fired off that email, here is what they sent back:

Dear Customer,

As of September 29, 2014, your outstanding balance with T-Mobile amounts to $93

Statutory interest is 12% and is calculated on a daily basis.

For further information, please contact us at 212-555-0198

Attached, please find the notice of assignment, the attorney's letter, and the account transcript.

They're charging me interest on a daily basis!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?
Is that even legal?
At this point, I don't even know who I'm supposed to be paying anymore.
The original bill was only $50.

My bad if I'm being too aggressive or overreacting here.

Look, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here—you really don't want to play smart with this one... unless you're looking to receive a court order for that debt that's been padded with a whole lot of extra fees. I mean, it's just basic math, really: third-party debt can absolutely be bought or transferred, and interest? Well, that keeps ticking away every single day.

It’s pretty obvious T-Mobile just sold off their debt to that firm. It's called an assignment.

Basically, an assignment—or transferring receivables—is just when one creditor hands over their right to collect money to a new one. The person who owes the money and the actual debt itself don't change, and you don't even need the debtor's permission to make the switch. It’s nothing fancy, definitely not some shady scam, just standard business practice you see all the time.

If you're actually curious about the legal weeds, go dig through the state's contract laws. You can look it up yourself.

Look, if you have a legitimate reason to dispute the service or the bill in the first place, you can take that fight to this new company too. But you better have a real reason—like the statute of limitations having run out or something.

Wait, isn't the legal default interest rate supposed to be 18% per year?

Nancy Richardson2 said:Wait, isn't the legal default interest rate supposed to be 18% per year?

Well, they calculate it proportionally... and I think it’s actually much lower than 18%, maybe around 12% for individuals. I mean, we're really just talking about a few cents and some change here. But man, it sure sounds intimidating when you put it that way, doesn't it? 🙂

Oh, please, they’re just playing these little psychological games with us.
So, if I'm following this logic correctly, they just keep hiking up the amount bit by bit every single day until they finally hit a number that works out to a 12% annual interest rate. Is that the gist of it? Am I getting this right?
Anyway, thanks for the help.

Yeah, and honestly, they target the ones who are desperately trying to scrape by—because at the end of the day, those are the people getting absolutely crushed by interest rates.

Honestly, it’s just unbelievable—they’ve gone and slashed those attorney fees on $33 down to just $333 of the actual disputed value, which is what they were doing before ($83), and now you already have law firms announcing layoffs... I mean, it’s no surprise when they aren't pulling in millions of dollars anymore... 🙂

Nancy Richardson2 said:On September 29th, I got hit with this email from Express Credit.
They’re claiming they’re collecting on behalf of T-Mobile, so I gave T-Mobile a call to verify—and yep, it’s actually true. CEP "bought" my debt from T-Mobile and now they're coming after me for it.

To whom it may concern,

I have absolutely never heard of your company, and I don't have any contract with you people. From here on out, any threats or nonsense needs to be sent exclusively via email!
And as for your pathetic claims that I was ever notified about this situation? You are dead wrong!
Where is the damn proof that you actually delivered anything to me?!?!?!
Furthermore, how the hell did you even get my number?!?!?!? Did you call 911 just to track me down?! No, you didn't! Getting my number through any other means is a total violation.
Let's keep going—what services am I even supposedly owing money for?!?!?! It doesn't say anywhere! After my endless calls trying to get an answer, I still haven't been able to get a single shred of information!

I demand!
Within 24 hours, provide me with documented proof justifying these claims!

After I fired off that email, here is what they sent back:

Dear Customer,

As of September 29, 2014, your outstanding balance with T-Mobile amounts to $93

Statutory interest is 12% and is calculated on a daily basis.

For further information, please contact us at 212-555-0198

Attached, please find the notice of assignment, the attorney's letter, and the account transcript.

They're charging me interest on a daily basis!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?
Is that even legal?
At this point, I don't even know who I'm supposed to be paying anymore.
The original bill was only $50.

My bad if I'm being too aggressive or overreacting here.

Did you actually bother to read the AT&T contract before signing, or were you just too eager to get your hands on a new phone?

You signed everything; don't worry. It’s just that the fine print was too small, and you couldn't be bothered to look.

Nancy Richardson2 said:On September 29th, I got hit with this email from Express Credit.
They’re claiming they’re collecting on behalf of T-Mobile, so I gave T-Mobile a call to verify—and yep, it’s actually true. CEP "bought" my debt from T-Mobile and now they're coming after me for it.

To whom it may concern,

I have absolutely never heard of your company, and I don't have any contract with you people. From here on out, any threats or nonsense needs to be sent exclusively via email!
And as for your pathetic claims that I was ever notified about this situation? You are dead wrong!
Where is the damn proof that you actually delivered anything to me?!?!?!
Furthermore, how the hell did you even get my number?!?!?!? Did you call 911 just to track me down?! No, you didn't! Getting my number through any other means is a total violation.
Let's keep going—what services am I even supposedly owing money for?!?!?! It doesn't say anywhere! After my endless calls trying to get an answer, I still haven't been able to get a single shred of information!

I demand!
Within 24 hours, provide me with documented proof justifying these claims!

After I fired off that email, here is what they sent back:

Dear Customer,

As of September 29, 2014, your outstanding balance with T-Mobile amounts to $93

Statutory interest is 12% and is calculated on a daily basis.

For further information, please contact us at 212-555-0198

Attached, please find the notice of assignment, the attorney's letter, and the account transcript.

They're charging me interest on a daily basis!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?
Is that even legal?
At this point, I don't even know who I'm supposed to be paying anymore.
The original bill was only $50.

My bad if I'm being too aggressive or overreacting here.

Regardless of who you might have heard it from, some of the regulars here on the forum have already stepped up to explain exactly how the whole cesarean section process works.

Nancy Richardson2 said:On September 29th, I got hit with this email from Express Credit.
They’re claiming they’re collecting on behalf of T-Mobile, so I gave T-Mobile a call to verify—and yep, it’s actually true. CEP "bought" my debt from T-Mobile and now they're coming after me for it.

To whom it may concern,

I have absolutely never heard of your company, and I don't have any contract with you people. From here on out, any threats or nonsense needs to be sent exclusively via email!
And as for your pathetic claims that I was ever notified about this situation? You are dead wrong!
Where is the damn proof that you actually delivered anything to me?!?!?!
Furthermore, how the hell did you even get my number?!?!?!? Did you call 911 just to track me down?! No, you didn't! Getting my number through any other means is a total violation.
Let's keep going—what services am I even supposedly owing money for?!?!?! It doesn't say anywhere! After my endless calls trying to get an answer, I still haven't been able to get a single shred of information!

I demand!
Within 24 hours, provide me with documented proof justifying these claims!

After I fired off that email, here is what they sent back:

Dear Customer,

As of September 29, 2014, your outstanding balance with T-Mobile amounts to $93

Statutory interest is 12% and is calculated on a daily basis.

For further information, please contact us at 212-555-0198

Attached, please find the notice of assignment, the attorney's letter, and the account transcript.

They're charging me interest on a daily basis!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?
Is that even legal?
At this point, I don't even know who I'm supposed to be paying anymore.
The original bill was only $50.

My bad if I'm being too aggressive or overreacting here.

Why is that? Do you have some kind of allergy to eighty-gram paper with a reminder printed on it?

Nancy Richardson2 said:On September 29th, I got hit with this email from Express Credit.
They’re claiming they’re collecting on behalf of T-Mobile, so I gave T-Mobile a call to verify—and yep, it’s actually true. CEP "bought" my debt from T-Mobile and now they're coming after me for it.

To whom it may concern,

I have absolutely never heard of your company, and I don't have any contract with you people. From here on out, any threats or nonsense needs to be sent exclusively via email!
And as for your pathetic claims that I was ever notified about this situation? You are dead wrong!
Where is the damn proof that you actually delivered anything to me?!?!?!
Furthermore, how the hell did you even get my number?!?!?!? Did you call 911 just to track me down?! No, you didn't! Getting my number through any other means is a total violation.
Let's keep going—what services am I even supposedly owing money for?!?!?! It doesn't say anywhere! After my endless calls trying to get an answer, I still haven't been able to get a single shred of information!

I demand!
Within 24 hours, provide me with documented proof justifying these claims!

After I fired off that email, here is what they sent back:

Dear Customer,

As of September 29, 2014, your outstanding balance with T-Mobile amounts to $93

Statutory interest is 12% and is calculated on a daily basis.

For further information, please contact us at 212-555-0198

Attached, please find the notice of assignment, the attorney's letter, and the account transcript.

They're charging me interest on a daily basis!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?
Is that even legal?
At this point, I don't even know who I'm supposed to be paying anymore.
The original bill was only $50.

My bad if I'm being too aggressive or overreacting here.

What kind of proof are they actually expecting that you received it? If that was the standard, nobody would ever bother picking up those delivery notifications at the post office. Let’s be real here—we all know it’s not like an auntie from Australia is suddenly sending us stacks of cash in the mail. It’s pretty obvious to everyone what’s really going on.

Nancy Richardson2 said:On September 29th, I got hit with this email from Express Credit.
They’re claiming they’re collecting on behalf of T-Mobile, so I gave T-Mobile a call to verify—and yep, it’s actually true. CEP "bought" my debt from T-Mobile and now they're coming after me for it.

To whom it may concern,

I have absolutely never heard of your company, and I don't have any contract with you people. From here on out, any threats or nonsense needs to be sent exclusively via email!
And as for your pathetic claims that I was ever notified about this situation? You are dead wrong!
Where is the damn proof that you actually delivered anything to me?!?!?!
Furthermore, how the hell did you even get my number?!?!?!? Did you call 911 just to track me down?! No, you didn't! Getting my number through any other means is a total violation.
Let's keep going—what services am I even supposedly owing money for?!?!?! It doesn't say anywhere! After my endless calls trying to get an answer, I still haven't been able to get a single shred of information!

I demand!
Within 24 hours, provide me with documented proof justifying these claims!

After I fired off that email, here is what they sent back:

Dear Customer,

As of September 29, 2014, your outstanding balance with T-Mobile amounts to $93

Statutory interest is 12% and is calculated on a daily basis.

For further information, please contact us at 212-555-0198

Attached, please find the notice of assignment, the attorney's letter, and the account transcript.

They're charging me interest on a daily basis!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?
Is that even legal?
At this point, I don't even know who I'm supposed to be paying anymore.
The original bill was only $50.

My bad if I'm being too aggressive or overreacting here.

He handed those receivables over to T-Mobile when he sold them off, mostly because they probably didn't feel like dealing with someone like you, so they just moved them along for a certain percentage of the value.

Nancy Richardson2 said:On September 29th, I got hit with this email from Express Credit.
They’re claiming they’re collecting on behalf of T-Mobile, so I gave T-Mobile a call to verify—and yep, it’s actually true. CEP "bought" my debt from T-Mobile and now they're coming after me for it.

To whom it may concern,

I have absolutely never heard of your company, and I don't have any contract with you people. From here on out, any threats or nonsense needs to be sent exclusively via email!
And as for your pathetic claims that I was ever notified about this situation? You are dead wrong!
Where is the damn proof that you actually delivered anything to me?!?!?!
Furthermore, how the hell did you even get my number?!?!?!? Did you call 911 just to track me down?! No, you didn't! Getting my number through any other means is a total violation.
Let's keep going—what services am I even supposedly owing money for?!?!?! It doesn't say anywhere! After my endless calls trying to get an answer, I still haven't been able to get a single shred of information!

I demand!
Within 24 hours, provide me with documented proof justifying these claims!

After I fired off that email, here is what they sent back:

Dear Customer,

As of September 29, 2014, your outstanding balance with T-Mobile amounts to $93

Statutory interest is 12% and is calculated on a daily basis.

For further information, please contact us at 212-555-0198

Attached, please find the notice of assignment, the attorney's letter, and the account transcript.

They're charging me interest on a daily basis!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?
Is that even legal?
At this point, I don't even know who I'm supposed to be paying anymore.
The original bill was only $50.

My bad if I'm being too aggressive or overreacting here.

They actually have to provide you with a full itemized breakdown of what they claim you owe.👍

Nancy Richardson2 said:On September 29th, I got hit with this email from Express Credit.
They’re claiming they’re collecting on behalf of T-Mobile, so I gave T-Mobile a call to verify—and yep, it’s actually true. CEP "bought" my debt from T-Mobile and now they're coming after me for it.

To whom it may concern,

I have absolutely never heard of your company, and I don't have any contract with you people. From here on out, any threats or nonsense needs to be sent exclusively via email!
And as for your pathetic claims that I was ever notified about this situation? You are dead wrong!
Where is the damn proof that you actually delivered anything to me?!?!?!
Furthermore, how the hell did you even get my number?!?!?!? Did you call 911 just to track me down?! No, you didn't! Getting my number through any other means is a total violation.
Let's keep going—what services am I even supposedly owing money for?!?!?! It doesn't say anywhere! After my endless calls trying to get an answer, I still haven't been able to get a single shred of information!

I demand!
Within 24 hours, provide me with documented proof justifying these claims!

After I fired off that email, here is what they sent back:

Dear Customer,

As of September 29, 2014, your outstanding balance with T-Mobile amounts to $93

Statutory interest is 12% and is calculated on a daily basis.

For further information, please contact us at 212-555-0198

Attached, please find the notice of assignment, the attorney's letter, and the account transcript.

They're charging me interest on a daily basis!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?
Is that even legal?
At this point, I don't even know who I'm supposed to be paying anymore.
The original bill was only $50.

My bad if I'm being too aggressive or overreacting here.

...or else 🙏

Nancy Richardson2 said:On September 29th, I got hit with this email from Express Credit.
They’re claiming they’re collecting on behalf of T-Mobile, so I gave T-Mobile a call to verify—and yep, it’s actually true. CEP "bought" my debt from T-Mobile and now they're coming after me for it.

To whom it may concern,

I have absolutely never heard of your company, and I don't have any contract with you people. From here on out, any threats or nonsense needs to be sent exclusively via email!
And as for your pathetic claims that I was ever notified about this situation? You are dead wrong!
Where is the damn proof that you actually delivered anything to me?!?!?!
Furthermore, how the hell did you even get my number?!?!?!? Did you call 911 just to track me down?! No, you didn't! Getting my number through any other means is a total violation.
Let's keep going—what services am I even supposedly owing money for?!?!?! It doesn't say anywhere! After my endless calls trying to get an answer, I still haven't been able to get a single shred of information!

I demand!
Within 24 hours, provide me with documented proof justifying these claims!

After I fired off that email, here is what they sent back:

Dear Customer,

As of September 29, 2014, your outstanding balance with T-Mobile amounts to $93

Statutory interest is 12% and is calculated on a daily basis.

For further information, please contact us at 212-555-0198

Attached, please find the notice of assignment, the attorney's letter, and the account transcript.

They're charging me interest on a daily basis!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?
Is that even legal?
At this point, I don't even know who I'm supposed to be paying anymore.
The original bill was only $50.

My bad if I'm being too aggressive or overreacting here.

Well, now you know. Honestly, people fight over pennies far too often, and in my experience, 99% of the time the company is in the wrong. If you happen to be part of that unlucky 1%, start by demanding a detailed specification of the debt just to see exactly what they are trying to charge you for. Once you have that, pull out the contract you signed with T-Mobile and read every single word from start to finish. If you still feel confident that you're right after that, then you can push back.

Here is the process I would suggest following:

1. File a formal dispute stating exactly why you believe you don't owe the amount. They will likely brush you off at first, but you need to keep moving forward;

2. I believe there is a local consumer advocacy group that offers free legal consultations on Thursdays—it might be worth looking into to present your case. You can certainly handle this on your own, but getting a professional opinion is always a good idea. Regardless, move on to step three.;

3. File a complaint with Honor Bound at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. If your consumer rights have been violated, filing this shouldn't cost you anything. Their website outlines the exact procedure and what documentation you need to include. Once the process begins at Honor Bound through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, they usually organize a mediation session where both you and a representative from the company present your sides. If mediation doesn't work out (which happens quite frequently), the board will make a ruling. Don't back down if you know you're in the right; I went through a similar ordeal once—not with a telecom provider, but the principle was the same—and it ended in my favor.

Just a quick tip: whenever you send anything through the mail, make sure to use certified mail with a return receipt so you have physical proof that they actually received your correspondence.

Harold Long21 said:Regardless of who you might have heard it from, some of the regulars here on the forum have already stepped up to explain exactly how the whole cesarean section process works.

Why is that? Do you have some kind of allergy to eighty-gram paper with a reminder printed on it?

What kind of proof are they actually expecting that you received it? If that was the standard, nobody would ever bother picking up those delivery notifications at the post office. Let’s be real here—we all know it’s not like an auntie from Australia is suddenly sending us stacks of cash in the mail. It’s pretty obvious to everyone what’s really going on.

He handed those receivables over to T-Mobile when he sold them off, mostly because they probably didn't feel like dealing with someone like you, so they just moved them along for a certain percentage of the value.

They actually have to provide you with a full itemized breakdown of what they claim you owe.👍

...or else 🙏

Well, now you know. Honestly, people fight over pennies far too often, and in my experience, 99% of the time the company is in the wrong. If you happen to be part of that unlucky 1%, start by demanding a detailed specification of the debt just to see exactly what they are trying to charge you for. Once you have that, pull out the contract you signed with T-Mobile and read every single word from start to finish. If you still feel confident that you're right after that, then you can push back.

Here is the process I would suggest following:

1. File a formal dispute stating exactly why you believe you don't owe the amount. They will likely brush you off at first, but you need to keep moving forward;

2. I believe there is a local consumer advocacy group that offers free legal consultations on Thursdays—it might be worth looking into to present your case. You can certainly handle this on your own, but getting a professional opinion is always a good idea. Regardless, move on to step three.;

3. File a complaint with Honor Bound at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. If your consumer rights have been violated, filing this shouldn't cost you anything. Their website outlines the exact procedure and what documentation you need to include. Once the process begins at Honor Bound through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, they usually organize a mediation session where both you and a representative from the company present your sides. If mediation doesn't work out (which happens quite frequently), the board will make a ruling. Don't back down if you know you're in the right; I went through a similar ordeal once—not with a telecom provider, but the principle was the same—and it ended in my favor.

Just a quick tip: whenever you send anything through the mail, make sure to use certified mail with a return receipt so you have physical proof that they actually received your correspondence.

It’s not debt collection yet. They're just sending a warning.

The notice clearly states that the principal (like T-Mobile) will initiate forced collection proceedings if the debt isn't paid according to the notice.

And they don't even bother showing ID.

granitefalcon15 said:I just received a notice regarding some unpaid utility fees. The debt is broken down into several different amounts based on the dates, and the oldest one actually has a due date of March 12, 2008. The rest of them date back to May 2012. This entire debt was left to us by my late father; my sister and I are the co-owners of the inherited apartment he left behind.
My question is, can I actually file a claim for the statute of limitations against this notice? Specifically, can I contest that oldest amount from 2008? And if so, what is the timeframe for doing that, considering they haven't even started any formal collection proceedings yet?

File an objection and cite the statute of limitations for the bills that have expired—be very specific about which ones they are by listing the due dates and exact amounts, then just pay off the rest.

John Clark6 said:Well, you certainly can, though I guess the debt might not necessarily be wiped clean right away—usually, that only happens once an actual judgment for enforcement is issued... Honestly, your best bet would probably be to try and negotiate. Personally, I would never write off a debt like that if I had the choice, even though I technically could—mostly because people just love to play games, and it really grinds my gears when someone tries to dodge what they owe! From my own experience, I’d likely jump straight to filing for enforcement, and then you end up paying double $67 for the hassle, and then you're complaining about double $17 for the service fees, so I might just write off the 2008 portion and somehow you still end up owing the same amount. Sorry, I've been in this line of work far too long and some things just get under my skin 🙂. But looking at it from a purely moral standpoint, you guys inherited a property, so you should have plenty of cash to cover the utilities.

What do you mean "doesn't necessarily"?
The statute of limitations periods are set in stone; it's not really up to whether someone wants to follow them or not. If the utility company moves forward with a collection action, you just need to submit an objection citing the statute of limitations for those specific old bills within the required window, and the court should uphold it.

hollowmason64 said:File an objection and cite the statute of limitations for the bills that have expired—be very specific about which ones they are by listing the due dates and exact amounts, then just pay off the rest.

What do you mean "doesn't necessarily"?
The statute of limitations periods are set in stone; it's not really up to whether someone wants to follow them or not. If the utility company moves forward with a collection action, you just need to submit an objection citing the statute of limitations for those specific old bills within the required window, and the court should uphold it.

Sure, the court will grant it, and the utility company loses their ability to force payment through a judgment, but don't think for a second that means they just write the debt off as a loss.
The company still wants its money, and trust me, they’ll try to find some other loophole or creative way to squeeze you once the legal route hits a dead end.

It's like when you go back to a shop years later asking for a favor or a service, and they look you dead in the eye and say: "Sure, we can help you out, but let's settle that old tab first." They never forget.😉

ruggedmaker2 said:Sure, the court will grant it, and the utility company loses their ability to force payment through a judgment, but don't think for a second that means they just write the debt off as a loss.
The company still wants its money, and trust me, they’ll try to find some other loophole or creative way to squeeze you once the legal route hits a dead end.

It's like when you go back to a shop years later asking for a favor or a service, and they look you dead in the eye and say: "Sure, we can help you out, but let's settle that old tab first." They never forget.😉

I find myself telling people all the time that they’re totally misinterpreting what the statute of limitations actually means—it basically just signifies that I’ve lost my legal standing to sue for the money, but it certainly doesn't mean THAT YOU DON'T OWE ME ANYTHING. 🙂. We’re talking about services rendered and such, but if you just put yourself in the shoes of a business owner... well, there's no way you'd ever want to provide them with any more services, especially those folks who hide behind the statute of limitations and then act all surprised when you try to collect!

John Clark6 said:I find myself telling people all the time that they’re totally misinterpreting what the statute of limitations actually means—it basically just signifies that I’ve lost my legal standing to sue for the money, but it certainly doesn't mean THAT YOU DON'T OWE ME ANYTHING. 🙂. We’re talking about services rendered and such, but if you just put yourself in the shoes of a business owner... well, there's no way you'd ever want to provide them with any more services, especially those folks who hide behind the statute of limitations and then act all surprised when you try to collect!

Amen to that!

I am dead certain that the people who lent money once and never saw a dime of it back aren't even thinking about lending to that same person again, just because the debt "expired." Oh, sure, ten years have passed since it was due, so now it's technically "stale," which means we should totally lend them more cash.
Yep, right! Like that makes any sense.

Just received a formal notice from a notary acting on behalf of Medicare regarding some unpaid supplemental insurance premiums—insurance we never even signed up for. Since there isn't a single shred of identifying info besides an address, and the name is incredibly common, someone clearly screwed up somewhere.
The letter claims I need to pay immediately or they’ll initiate a garnishment through a collection agency, $633, and frankly, I'm reeling.
What’s my move here?
Any advice would be appreciated.