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Do I have to pay a contractor's bill that has been sent to me for the first time six and seven years late?

Anonymous Contractor

I had a lawn cutter service that provided services summer of 2013 without sending me bills. At the beginning of the summer of 2014 I told him if I didn't get bills I would not be able to use him in the future. Which is exactly what happened. Today (2/4/2020) I've received a bill for $898 for 2013 and $1,100 for 2014. Do I have to pay the bill. I think it's outrageous that after all these years he expects me to pay these bills.

1 reply

Matt Viator

Construction Lawyer

Levelset Admin at Levelset

| 1,002 reviews

Feb 7, 2020

Ultimately, whether or not to pay a 6-year-old debt will be up to the party being asked to pay. With such a significant amount of time passing before billing, it will be hard for a claimant to actually pursue and collect on the debt. In Connecticut, debtors unpaid based on oral contracts must bring an action to recover their debt within 3 years, pursuant to Sec. 52-581. If the contract for work was in writing, then the claimant would have 6 years to bring their claim on the debt, under Sec. 52-576. So, in a situation where the claimant won't have any legal route for recovery, it'd be hard for them to bring action to force an owner to pay. As a result, it'd likely be up to the owner to proceed however they seem fit.

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