How to Find Out the Original Collection Date on a Collection Account

The original collection date on a collection account is known as the date of last activity. This date marks the beginning of the statute of limitations for debt collection in every state and the reporting period of the debt on your credit report. Although the reporting period for collection accounts is set by The Fair Credit Reporting Act at seven years for any debt, the statute of limitations is different depending on your state of residence. If a collection agency attempts to sue you after the statute of limitations on the debt expires, you may use the expired time frame as an impervious legal defense. Knowing the date of last activity will also help you keep up with when the debt is scheduled to be removed from your credit report.

Instructions

1

Calculate the date of the last payment you made on the account to the original creditor prior to the account being charged off. If you do not remember the date of your last payment, check with your bank to find the date that your check to the company was cashed or the payment was debited from your account.

2

Add 180 days to the day the original creditor processed your last payment. This will be the original collection date for the account. It is also the date that most creditors will charge off the debt and sell it to a collection agency.

3

Pull a copy of each of your credit reports from TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax if you are unable to discover the date your last payment was processed by evaluating your bank records. It is important to pull all three formal credit reports as different creditors may not report to each credit bureau.

4

Locate the entry on your credit report for the original creditor of the account.

5

Locate the charge off date for the account. The charge off date will be located in either the top left or bottom right corner of the entry depending on which credit bureau's report you are viewing. This date should coincide with the date of last activity.

6

Verify that the charge off date and the date of last activity are the same by reviewing the payment history of the original account on your credit report. Add six months to the last month that your credit report reflects a payment on the account. This will not give you the exact date, but if the original creditor charged off the debt six months after your last payment, you can be sure that the charge-off date is also the date of last activity.