Buyers and servicers of "stale," or time-barred, debt have been watching the bankruptcy and appellate courts closely of late, as court after court has ruled on whether a key component of their recovery strategy -- seeking payment related to such time-barred debts by filing proofs of claim in bankruptcy -- violates the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA).
Courts Check Government Attempts to Extend the Statute of Limitations
Part Two of a Two-Part Article
When the SEC and other government regulatory agencies pursue civil enforcement actions against those accused of financial fraud, they often attempt to recover monetary penalties and fines for periods of time even outside the limitations period. This effort is being met with resistance by the courts. The authors conclude their discussion herein.
While it remains unclear both when the regulators will invoke their authority to enforce the nearly limitless strict liability provision of the rules and how they will determine the appropriate remedy, the recent settlements and the SEC's handling of exemptive relief petitions may provide some clues.
