2025-09-04
Will Bankruptcy Erase All Of My Debt?
Bankruptcy
The intention of Canadian bankruptcy law is to provide honest and overextended debtors the opportunity for a financial fresh start.
2014-12-08
In Alberta, the answer to this question would be yes.
The Limitations Act of Alberta states that a creditor cannot seek a judgment or order against you unless they do so within:
This means that if you have a debt out there and your creditor takes no steps to seek judgment within two years, there may be an argument that the debt is now statute-barred. Generally though, the creditor has likely made some type of step towards collecting. Even though they may not be able to get a judgment against you, that doesn’t mean they’ll stop calling you or sending collection agencies your way. Those actions are not statute-barred.
Another problem in determining if a limitation period has expired in Alberta is that a creditor can keep their debt ‘alive’ by having you acknowledge the debt or make a partial payment towards it. It quickly becomes tricky to determine if you have acknowledged the debt.
Beyond that, every province in Canada has its own provincial law regarding a Statute of Limitations.
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is also bound by these rules in collecting past income tax debt. Generally, there is a ten-year statute of limitations for CRA to collect past income tax debts. There may be some intervening factors that could affect this timeframe, such as if you’ve transferred assets to another party. But ten years is a solid general guideline.
While this blog is not official legal advice, hopefully it can give you some guidance in determining if you have an argument to make with respect to the collection actions of one or more of your creditors. Keep in mind that the limitations only apply with respect to getting a judgment. It doesn’t stop the phone calls, the harassment or the actions of credit collectors. If you know your debt is unmanageable or the calls won’t stop, contact MNP Ltd. to see what options may be available to you.
2025-09-04
Bankruptcy
The intention of Canadian bankruptcy law is to provide honest and overextended debtors the opportunity for a financial fresh start.
2025-09-02
Lifestyle Debt Debt Solutions
You already know the many benefits of skilled money management. The fact you’re reading this blog post says at least that much. Your challenge, like for most households, is how to navigate the seemingly infinite demands on your frustratingly finite income.
2025-09-02
Lifestyle Debt
Have fun on a budget with our guide to affordable activities in Atlantic Canada.