Old Phone Bills Not Paid

[knoman]

What is the name of your state? California

I owe the Phone Company for an old bill from 1999. I had gone to jail for a year, and the phone was turned off and the bill was never paid. They sent it to a collection agency, and the bill keeps getting higher and higher. The collection agency keeps adding interest charges to it, I guess. I had heard on the news not too long ago, that after 3 years, the debt no longer exists, and the only thing that can be done, is that the agency or creditor can report you to TRW or one of the Credit Reporting Agencies. Your credit will have a bad mark on it, but the debt is gone. Is this true? Are Utility debts different from other debts. And what can I show this Collection Agency in print that lets them know that they can't keep calling me and sending me letters, asking for payment?

 

[Ladynred]

I had heard on the news not too long ago, that after 3 years, the debt no longer exists,

Clean out your ears.. you 'heard' wrong. That's simply NOT true.

There IS a statute of limitations -the time period a creditor has to sue you to enforce collection of a debt. That SOL in CA is FOUR years. This 1999 debt is 2 years PAST that SOL. Send the collection agency a cease and desist letter telling them never to bother you again as the debt is time-barred per CA statute. Send it certified, RRR and keep copies of everything.

The expiration of the SOL does NOT erase the debt, it just makes it harder for them to FORCE you to pay it. Debts are never just 'erased' -- only bankruptcy comes even close to that. They can keep trying to COLLECT until hell freezes over.