dr. bill that is 3 yrs old

I went to a chiroprator 3 yrs ago. I paid $80 for my first visit and was seen two more times in which I asked the billing person to bill me. She said she would file it with the insurance and send me a bill. I never heard back from them. I assumed that the insurance company had paid and fogot all about it. About a week and a 1/2 ago, my mother called me and said that someone from the chiropractor's office had called and left a nasty message on her answering machine saying that if I did not pay the remaining balance of $75, they were going to take me to court. I called them back and asked them about it. They told me that they had an outstanding bill and that they had tried to contact me and I would never return their correspondance. When I initally went to the Dr., I was living at my mothers. I moved but she is still there, has been for over 20 years. She has never recieved a phone call or a bill until now. After about a week after the first phone call, a summons was sent to my house and I have to be in court Jan 5, 2001 for a bill that is over 3 yrs old and that I had thought was taken care of by the insurance company ( to find out, I did not meet the deductuble). I just dont understand how someone can take someone to court after 3 yrs of not trying to contact someone and then sue after a week. Please help me. Thank you


All takes place in Virginia

[Edited by janboe27 on 12-27-2000 at 08:00 PM]

Your message doesn't say anything about the Doctor bill not being valid, so I assume that you accept its validity and that it is overdue. With that fact in mind, I suggest that you pay the outstanding bill that you owe.

If you posted this question here solely to find out if they can sue you within three years of the debt, the answer is yes PROBABLY. The statute of limitations in Virgina is 3 years from the last charge or payment for an open account and 5 years for a written contract. The 3 year 'window' is probably (if not already) fast approaching and that might be why they are moving so quickly.

Additionally, you asked about the speed that this is happening at... how fast, or slow the creditor takes to file a suit against you is really irrelevant. Granted, filing with only one week of notice certainly seems rushed, it is purely up to the complainant (Plaintiff) as to when, or if, they pursue litigation.

[Edited by Halket on 12-27-2000 at 08:18 PM]