What happens when you get sued for credit card debt?

Wages and bank accounts can be seized to collect on the resulting judgments, which continue to accrue interest for years to come. Four million Americans had their wages garnished over consumer debts in 2013, and reports indicate that Black communities are hit much harder by debt collection lawsuits than others.

What happens to the Statute of limitations on credit card debt?

In addition, if a lawsuit is brought against you and the lender wins (i.e. a judgment is rendered against you), the statute of limitations is no longer relevant, as the lender is essentially granted unlimited time in which to collect amounts owed. You can find your state’s statute of limitations for debt in the table below.

Can a debtor be sued for a small amount?

In very poor months the debtor could pay in the amount of his best effort, but he had to pay every month. From the creditor’s point of view, half the collection battle would be won if they could get debtors into a payment routine or, rather, rut.

When do you get court papers about a credit card lawsuit?

When you get court papers about a credit card lawsuit, you have a choice: take no action, or use the laws to level the playing field. The debt collectors have done everything possible to convince you they have all the power, but that’s not true.

By the time an unpaid debt turns into a court summons, it has already passed from the initial creditor to at least one debt collection agency. Sometimes your debt has been handled by multiple debt collection agencies, each one selling or passing your debt along until one of the agencies decides to take you to court.

What happens if you ignore a credit card debt summons?

If you ignore your summons, the court is likely to rule in the debt collector’s favor and your wages could be garnished until you pay back the amount of money that the court rules you owe. If you are sued for credit card debt, your first step is to verify that the debt is actually yours.

Can a person go to jail for credit card debt?

Suing someone over an old debt is the last step in the debt delinquency timeline, not the first one. Here’s the good news- you can’t go to jail for credit card debt, and if a debt collector implies…

Can a credit card company get a judgment against you?

If you are in default on a credit card account, the credit card company can try to get a credit card debt judgment against you by filing a lawsuit. If the credit card company gets a judgment, it can use all sorts of collection methods against you to get paid.