See Statute of Limitations on Debts (www.creditinfocenter.com)
Statute of Limitations on Debts
Below are the State Statutes of Limitations for various kinds of agreements. All figures are in years.
Oral Contract: You agree to pay money loaned to you by someone, but this contract or agreement is verbal (i.e., no written contract, “handshake agreement”). Remember a verbal contract is legal, if tougher to prove in court.
Written Contract: You agree to pay on a loan under the terms written in a document, which you and your debtor have signed.
Promissory Note: You agree to pay on a loan via a written contract, just like the written contract. The big difference between a promissory note and a regular written contract is that the scheduled payments and interest on the loan also is spelled out in the promissory note. A mortgage is an example of a promissory note.
Open-ended Accounts: These are revolving lines of credit with varying balances. The best example is a credit card account. Please note: a credit card is ALWAYS an open account. This is established under the Truth-in-Lending Act.
See also…