Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Pennsylvania

On 1998 I issued a cheque to a cloth store and the amount were less than 300$ , I left USA before I cover that amount in my bank account, and that because I left suddenly for personal issue, the bank sent me letter to my home country Egypt telling me that there a problem and if I didn't complaint so they will consider that I agree on the problem!! I didnt complaint and I was waiting for their next step but there was no next step from them, they didn't updated me with any further actions.

Now I need to know my current legal situation though to act up on it.

NB. I phone called the bank yesterday and the member service knows nothing, and she adviced me to contact Experian to see my credit history, but not working still.

I need your assistance to know my current legal situation.


Asked on 9/06/14, 8:12 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Your post does not make sense. Do you want to know your immigration status? If so, you posted in the wrong area - direct your question to immigration attorneys. However, if you have immigration questions you would need to contact the authorities in charge of this through Department of Homeland Security/Department of State/US Immigration and Customs.

If you are asking how debts affect immigration, the answer is that debts have nothing to do with this. You will be allowed to re-enter the US even if civil money judgments are entered - this would not stop you. Unless there is some kind of criminal conviction or something else in your background.

Question is, what happened? After this much time, the bank has no records or they are archived and in storage somewhere. That is not the point . Is there a civil money judgment against you or is there some type of criminal conviction in absentia?

Pulling your US credit report would be a good first start to see if anything is on there, but negative information can only remain for 7 years. So if a judgment was entered in say 2001, then it will not be on your credit report any longer. You can run criminal background checks as well to see if there is any kind of a criminal record.

However, the court in the county where you lived would have a record of any judgments if they existed. Likewise, if there was some type of criminal action there would be a record of that in the criminal division.

If there is no record, then any action now is barred by the statute of limitations most likely (there is the issue of tolling and if you left the country, it could be that the statute of limitations was tolled during your absence). If the statute of limitations has expired, go and have a good life - nothing can be done to you. If the statute of limitations is tolled then you would have to deal with whatever consequences there would be if you came back - the consequences would be - if a civil, matter, then dealing with a lawsuit and if a criminal matter, I am confident that a good criminal law attorney would be able to get this dismissed as long as you paid restitution provided there is nothing else criminal on your record.

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Answered on 9/06/14, 1:29 pm


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