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How long can a company chase you for a debt?

Author

Daniel Santos

Updated on January 24, 2026

six years
Under the Limitation Act 1980 a creditor has six years to chase most unsecured unpaid debts, or twelve years for some mortgage shortfalls. This ‘limitation period’ starts from the time of your last payment or acknowledgement of the debt, not the total length of time you’ve been making payments.

Can a company chase a debt after 5 years?

If you do not pay the debt at all, the law sets a limit on how long a debt collector can chase you. If you do not make any payment to your creditor for six years or acknowledge the debt in writing then the debt becomes ‘statute barred’. This means that your creditors cannot legally pursue the debt through the courts.

How long can debt collectors pursue old debt?

four-year
Old (Time-Barred) Debts In California, there is generally a four-year limit for filing a lawsuit to collect a debt based on a written agreement.

How long can creditors Chase debtors for repayment?

A major issue at the moment troubling people in debt is the issue of the length of time creditors can chase people for debt repayment. This is a particularly important issue because a large proportion of people have debts that have been outstanding for a considerable length of time (in some cases many years).

How long can you chase a debt without an acknowledgement?

How Long? The time frame is 6 years, but it’s not as clear cut as simply thinking that if six years have passed from incurring the debt you cannot reclaim the money. If more than six years have passed since the debt began without any correspondence or acknowledgement from the debtor, you cannot legally enforce it.

How long can a debtor chase you in Scotland?

and You have not communicated with the creditor admitting you owe the debt during the last six years. After six years if the creditor makes contact with the debtor and asks for a payment, the debtor does not have to pay them. These instructions do not apply to debts in Scotland.

How long does debt stay on your credit report?

The timeline for debt to stay on your credit report is 7.5 years, but again, this depends on your activity with the debt. If the debt was sold by the original lender at 6 years, and you made a payment with the new debt buyer, it could restart the clock.