A & S Collections Associates: How to Use the Statute of Limitations to Relieve Your Debt

A & S Collection Associates, Inc.: How to Use the Statute of Limitations to Relieve You From Debt

A&S Collections, headquartered in Williamstown, Vermont, was established in 1993 and collects on commercial accounts, financial institutions, government agencies, utility companies and professional offices.

A & S Collection Associates, Inc. Mailing Address and Phone Number

All About A & S Collections Associates

According to the A & S Collections website, they brag that their “phenomenal collection rates are among the highest in the country,” and they employ skip tracing, asset searches, and credit bureau reporting. They use a self-described “innovative three-step process of collecting,” escalating progressively from written demands to verbal demands, and then to legal action.

Collecting on very old debt – up to seven years in some areas – is a specialty of A&S Collections, and this practice is only restricted by the statute of limitations in the state where they’re collecting. This is something to be aware of if you’re dealing with a debt collection agency. Statutes of limitations can be very different state to state and vary by type of debt, but in most cases creditors only have a certain amount of time – in most states three to six years – in which they can sue you to collect debt. Not only do different states have different statutes of limitations, but debt may also be treated differently. Some states consider credit card debt an open-ended account and others may consider it a written contract. In any scenario, knowing about the statute of limitations in your state can work in your favor if you’re being harassed for old debt by A & S Collection Associates.

It is also crucial to know that acknowledging the debt or making a payment on an old debt may restart the clock on the statute of limitations – which starts ticking from the “date of last activity” on the account (often noted as your last payment or purchase on the account). This might mean that giving information to a A & S Collections Associates, or simply discussing your old debt, could put you in a situation where you are again responsible for debt on an account that has expired according the statute of limitations. In this situation it may be advisable to seek legal advice.

Even thought the Fair Debt Collection Practice Act (FDCPA) prohibits suing for payment after the statute of limitations has run out, it does not mean that A & S Collection Associates won't try. You may have to prove in court that the statute of limitations has expired. Though the statute of limitations means that creditors and debt collectors like A & S Collections Associates can no longer sue you, it’s likely debt collectors will still contact you and try to persuade you to pay your debt. A final step you can take (if you’re absolutely sure the statue of limitations has expired!) is to send A & S Collections Associates a certified letter, return receipt requested, stating that the debt is not yours, the statute of limitations has expired, and you want collections efforts to stop..