Professor Richard M. Alderman, Associate Dean at the University of Houston Law Center, who is known to many as "The People's Lawyer", answers your most common questions. If you have a question pertaining to the law in Texas, please e-mail Richard at peopleslawyer@www.law.uh.edu. This page answers your questions on Loans

Banking
Bankruptcy
Contracts
Credit Cards
Debt Collection
Divorce
Employee Rights
Fraud
Liens
Medical Leave
Miscellaneous
Property Rights
Taxes
Wage Garnishment
Wills/Probate etc.

Q. I owe an old student loan from about ten years ago. I thought I would never hear from them again. Now they want me to pay. Isn't it too late for them to collect?

A. Probably not. Although most debts cannot be legally enforced after six years, government backed student loans are different. Under federal law, there is no time limit on when such loans must be enforced.

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Q. I had been making regular payments on a loan when the loan company was sold to another company. The new company has contacted me and wants to raise the amount of my payments. Can they do this?

A. When you sign a contract, including a loan agreement, the terms of that contract are binding on any other company that takes over. In other words, if the agreement did not give the original lender the right to arbitrarily raise the amount, the new company does not have that right.

I suggest you read your loan agreement and then contact the new company and let them know you expect them to abide by its terms.

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Do You Want To Know More About Your Legal Rights?
If so, register for The Peoples Law School, or watch "Know Your Rights!" Richard's new show on Fridays at 5:30 and 10:30 on Channel 8.

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