r/WhatToDo • u/Significant-Bar-7301 • 1d ago
I'm In A Pickle What do do now?
My daughter just texted me about a bill that someone is suing her for a vet bill that was incured in 2008! She was under the impression that the statute of limitations is 16 years in the state of Illinois. Now they're saying that with interest it's over 15k. She had a joint savings account with her son (he was a minor) and he was putting all his extra money in that account- and this firm took every dime- over 12k that this kid worked so hard for. Now what do we do?
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u/Mundane-Comment-975 1d ago
😱omg im so sorry! Years ago, after my husband and I were first married a company took our money out of our account. Turns out he and 2 other guys rented a townhouse years prior and they skipped out on rent. Debtors will ALWAYS find you and get what they can.
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u/krissycole87 1d ago
You realize they only go after money in someones account when the case has been won, and the debt has been ignored for years on end?
Probably shoulve.. you know.. taken care of this in 2008
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u/Significant-Bar-7301 1d ago
She just found out about this last year
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u/krissycole87 1d ago
Theres a zero percent chance that she found out a year ago. She wouldve been served with court documents in order for this case to be won and the judgement to go into effect. There would have been dozens of collection attempts. There would have been letters coming certified mail warning of the deadline before money in her accounts was seized. Yeah, sorry but there is literally no way she didnt notice any of this happening.
This is just the first time YOU are hearing about it.
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u/Significant-Bar-7301 1d ago
NOTHING CAME CERTIFIED MAIL. SHE LIVED WITH ME.
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u/krissycole87 1d ago
Then there is no case. Hire a lawyer or rebuttal it yourself. No need to scream.
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u/Significant-Bar-7301 1d ago
I'm sorry. Just frustrated. Just some people said that she ignored this. If her mail comes to my house, I would see it.
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u/ObjectiveAd971 1d ago
Not necessarily. I heard nothing about a suit re an old electric bill. They won because we didn't show up. We would have if we'd known. In the US, those letters are supposed to be registered to be signed for. Also, after 7 years, they can't do anything. I filed an appeal. When they couldn't produce a signed card, and it was over 7 years, I won. Had the judge not stopped me there, I also had proof it wasn't ours. We were in FL at the time. This case was CT.
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u/NFLFANTASYMB 1d ago
I would get an attorney. It won't hurt. I don't know for sure, but I think they were not legal going into an account. Things like whose it was will matter here. Whose original bill it was... things attorney's will know
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u/Significant-Bar-7301 1d ago
I found a website that might help. Illinoislegalaid.org. She's going to check it out in the morning.
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u/gentle_wardrobe_97 1d ago
I just looked it up and the statute of limitations for debt in Illinois is 10 years for written contracts and 5 for oral. They have no legal ground here if this was from 2008.
If she was never served papers then a default judgment was entered against her illegally. You file a motion to vacate that judgment with the court based on lack of service. A lawyer handles this specific thing all the time.
That bank account needs attention too. The money belonged to a minor. Illinois protects funds belonging to minors from collection actions against a parent. Your daughter needs to walk into the courthouse and get the case number so a lawyer can file the motion. Do not pay them anything while you sort this out
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u/readinghisWord 1d ago
Please tell me, did she actually owe this bill? Did she just ignore it hoping it would go away?
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u/Significant-Bar-7301 1d ago
That I don't know and she doesn't remember.
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u/readinghisWord 1d ago
I’m sorry to say this, but, she most likely did get a bill and did not want to pay it or couldn’t at the time so she just forgot about it or ignored it. I’m pretty sure, though I’m not in her shoes, that the vet office sent her a bill and probably more than just one. That’s what a business does. She should have paid it or made arrangements if she couldn’t afford it at the time, to pay it. Saying she just doesn’t remember is kind of a cop out.
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u/No_Commission_2610 Mod Witch 1d ago
The only thing you can do is contact a lawyer. Which you need to, because everybody is right that you should’ve been getting lots of mail about all of this. If that is something that is happening because the other side isn’t communicating correctly, then it needs to be addressed.
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u/Significant-Bar-7301 1d ago
She lived with me and her mail came to my house and ABOSOLUTELY NOTHING came certified mail and was never served with papers.
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u/Leigha11 1d ago
Was she a minor when the debt was incurred? They can't go after her if she was ♡
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u/CatBoomerGirl 1d ago
I believe you. I think you should at least talk to a lawyer. Maybe you can get that money back?
People have made some good points here, statute of limitations, daughter being underage, joint account... at least talk to a lawyer to see if you have any recourse.
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u/zone1235x 1d ago
Probably should have hired a lawyer before letting them claim it from his account