QUESTION
Do I have to pay after an invoice is sent to me 22 years later?
Asked on Apr 11th, 2012 on Bankruptcy - Louisiana
More details to this question:
My dad migrated to US over 22 years ago and now the company involved has sent a bill for over a $1000. They are not willing to talk to me and my dad is very old and cannot speak very well. So I am struggling to get some sort of power of attorney to at least get to the bottom of this. Can companies do such thing? Can they send out bills/invoices after such a long time? How should I proceed? Your advise is appreciated.
1 ANSWER
In Louisiana, there are two potential time periods that apply. For "open accounts" the prescriptive period is three years. An open account is a revolving account used to obtain goods and services - usually a credit card. For contracts, the prescriptive period is ten years. Now, if you have not been billed for 22 years, and you or your father have not made a payment in over 10 years, it seems unlikely they can do anything from a legal standpoint. They likely will need a power of attorney before they discuss your father's debt with you. Further, there are certain actions you will want to take to prevent this company from harassing you.
Answered on Apr 12th, 2012 at 12:32 PM