Debt Validation Letter in Texas
Ask a debt collector to prove a debt. Under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. § 1692g), if you dispute in writing within the validation period, the collector must stop collecting until it sends verification. Send it by certified mail and keep a copy.
What Texas law says
| State debt collection law | Yes. The Texas Debt Collection Act (Finance Code ch. 392) applies to any 'debt collector,' defined as a person who directly or indirectly collects consumer debts, which includes original creditors collecting their own debts. It also bars debt buyers from suing on time-barred consumer debt and requires a disclosure when they collect such debt. |
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| Time limit to sue on a written contract | 4 years. A suit on a debt must be brought within four years after the claim accrues; the residual period for claims with no other stated period is also four years. |
| Can a payment restart the clock? | An acknowledgment of a debt that appears time-barred counts only if it is in writing and signed by the debtor. For consumer debt owned by a debt buyer, once the 4-year period has run the debt buyer may not sue or arbitrate, and the claim is not revived by a payment, an oral or written reaffirmation, or any other activity on the debt. Acknowledgment rule: https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/CP/htm/CP.16.htm |
Fill it in
Nothing you type leaves your browser. Replace anything still highlighted, and keep a signed copy.
[today's date]
To: [collection agency name], [collector address]
Re: Account number [account or reference number]
I am writing in response to your [letter or call] dated [date of contact]. I dispute this debt and request validation under 15 U.S.C. § 1692g.
Please send me the name of the original creditor, the amount you claim and how it was calculated, and documents showing that you own or are authorized to collect this debt.
Until you provide this verification, please stop collection activity on this account, and contact me only in writing at the address below.
[your name], [your mailing address]
Debt Validation Letter for other states · Texas tenant rights
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.