Hello,

First thank you for any advice ahead of time :)

I live in NC
I got a summons today for an old credit card debt. I am scared to death, I have people telling me to just answer the summons and don't worry, its just a scare tactic. Others telling me to answer and they will take you to court.

So what is the best way to handle this? Please advise, I am on a very tight budget and would be unable to pay the full amount at once. If I was to call the lawyer and offer a payment plan of 50 dollars a month would this prevent it from going to court. I am desperate for solid advice.

Thanks!

There are hundreds of threads on this site that deal with this issue. I suggest you spend some time reading similar threads. It should help you understand what's involved and what is going to happen.

Yes you answer the summons, never ignore it. You respond with an Intent to Defend letter. You then send a copy of that letter to the plaintiff with a request for verification of the debt. You can include a statement that, if they can verify the debt, you would be willing to set up a payment plan that you can afford.

The worst that can happen is they will get a judgment against you. They can then use that judgment to garnish your salary and/or attach any bank account you have.

You say it's an old credit card debt - how old? That would be the date of the LAST activity on the card (payment/charge).

It COULD be out of Statute.