Debt collectors in Iowa

Credit cards: Unsettled. Iowa Code s. 614.1(5)(a) gives 10 years for written contracts and s. 614.1(4) gives 5 for unwritten contracts. Per the Alper Law 2026 chart, two unpublished Iowa Court of Appeals panels conflict, and neither is controlling. MBNA America Bank, N.A. v. Brink (2006) treated a card agreement issued in writing and accepted by use as written (10 yrs). Gemini Capital Group v. New (2011) required every essential term in writing and applied 5 yrs. Both are discussed in New v. Gemini Capital Group, 859 F. Supp. 2d 990 (S.D. Iowa 2012). The shorter plausible period is 5 years.

Payments and acknowledgments: Iowa Code s. 614.11 revives contract causes of action only by 'an admission in writing, signed by the party to be charged, that the debt is unpaid,' or a like new promise to pay. No statute gives part payment that effect. Per the Alper Law 2026 chart, a payment alone does not revive an expired Iowa debt. Whether a bare payment made while the period is running restarts it was not confirmed with Iowa case law, so treat it with caution. No consumer or debt-buyer revival ban exists. Iowa Code s. 537.7103 (debt-collection prohibited practices) contains no time-barred-debt provision.

Judgments: An action founded on a judgment of a court of record (Iowa, another state or federal) must be brought within 20 years (s. 614.1(6)). There is no limit for child support, spousal support or marital-distribution judgments. A judgment is a lien on the debtor's real estate for 10 years from its date (s. 624.23(1)), and homesteads are generally exempt (s. 624.23(2)). Judgments of courts not of record: 10 years (s. 614.1(5)(a)). Renewal by an action on the judgment within the 20-year period is the usual route, but the procedure was not verified. Chapter 615 does NOT limit ordinary consumer-credit judgments. It voids, after 2 years, judgments in foreclosures of mortgages on agricultural or owner-occupied 1-2 family homes (s. 615.1), bars renewing them (s. 615.2), and voids after 2 years money judgments on such mortgage notes taken without foreclosure (s. 615.3). Rent judgments are void after 10 years (court not of record) or 20 years (court of record), or after 2 years if assigned for value to a third party other than a bank or credit union (s. 615.1A).

Other rules: Statute text came from the official Iowa Code 2026 PDFs on legis.iowa.gov. Iowa's commercial code (s. 554.3118) sets no limitations period for notes, only accrual rules, so notes default to the 10-year written-contract period. The credit-card conflict is documented here only through a secondary source (the Alper Law 2026 chart, citing the unpublished Iowa Ct. App. decisions and New v. Gemini Capital Group, 859 F. Supp. 2d 990 (S.D. Iowa 2012)); the opinions were not read. The task question about ch. 615 is resolved: ch. 615 covers mortgage-foreclosure and rent judgments, not consumer credit transactions generally. No statute bans suing on time-barred consumer debt.

• open account: Iowa Code s. 614.1(5)(a) (10 yrs) vs s. 614.1(4) (5 yrs); MBNA America Bank v. Brink (Iowa Ct. App. 2006, unpub.) and Gemini Capital Group v. New (Iowa Ct. App. 2011, unpub.) per secondary source
• written contract: Iowa Code s. 614.1(5)(a)
• oral contract: Iowa Code s. 614.1(4)
• promissory note: Iowa Code s. 614.1(5)(a); s. 554.3118 sets only accrual rules, no period
• judgment: Iowa Code ss. 614.1(6), 614.1(5)(a), 624.23; ch. 615 (ss. 615.1, 615.1A, 615.2, 615.3)
• payment restarts: Iowa Code s. 614.11
• other: Iowa Code s. 614.1(5)(b) (5 yrs for rent claims); s. 615.1A (assigned rent judgments void after 2 yrs)

Sources: legis.iowa.gov · legis.iowa.gov · legis.iowa.gov