<prompt> Human: My parents just got a call saying that the debt collection agency is going to file paperwork to sue for the amount owed 6,300, from a card they had in 1999. They advised my mom that they would take 1,300 today as a settlement. Are they able to sue legally from a debt that old? Or should they pay the 1,300 and get it over with? 6,300 - Debt from 19991,300 - Settlement offerThe debt was in North Carolina.Thanks for any help. If you need any other information, please let me know.  <response>: Im not an expert on this, but they can sue for whatever they want. Whether or not the suit is upheld is whats relevant.The Statute of Limitations on debt generally starts when the last activity on that debt which could just be simply acknowledging the debt, and is usually 7-10 years depends on the state the debt is from. If the debt was sold the collection agency in 1999 and your parents havent made any payments on it, youre probably safe by informing a judge if it gets that far its outside of SOL.More info here 