In every State there are statutes known as "Statutes of Limitations," which provide that no action shall be brought on any claim unless such action is brought within a certain time after the cause of action accrues.18 If a part payment of a debt is made, or a new promise to pay the debt is made, the statute will only begin to run from this time, even if the full period has already run and the debt has become what is known as outlawed. A new promise or partial payment will revive the debt. In most states, the statute of limitations does not run against infants or other persons under disability.19

14 McGrath vs. Clark, 56 N. Y., 34; Locknane vs. Emerson, 4 Bush, 69; Ivory vs. Michael, 33 Mo., 398: Benedict vs. Miner, 58 111., 19; Lee vs. Star Bird, 55 Me., 491; Harsh vs. Klepper, 28 Ohio St., 200.

15 Hartford vs. Street. 46 Iowa, 594; Barnes vs. Gibbs, 31 N. J. L., 317, 319.

16 Cole vs. Favorite, 69 ILL 457, 461; Marsh vs. Pier, 4 Rawle, 273-288.

17 Benjamin on Contracts, Sec. 103.

18 Consult statutes of Particular

State. 19 The Statutes of Limitations of the different States are as follows:

States and

Territories.

Judgments, Years.

Notes, Years.

Open Accn'ts, Years.

Alabama.........

20

6

3

Arkansas........

10

5

3

Arizona...........

5

4

3

California. .. .

5

4

2

Colorado.....

20

6

6

states and

Territories.

Judgments, Years.

Notes, Years.

Open Acc'nts, Years.

Connecticut. .......

(o)

(e)

6

Delaware ....

10

6||

3

D.of Columbia

12

3

3

Florida......

20

5||

2

Georgia...............

7

6||

4

States and

Territories.

Judgments, Years.

Notes, Years.

Open Acc'nts, Years.

Idaho..................

6

5

4

Illinois................

20

10

5

Indiana.................

20

10

6

Iowa.............

20(d)

10

5

Kansas............

5

5

3

Kentucky. . ..

15

15

5(a)

Louisiana. ...

10

5

3

Maine.......

20

6(e)

6§§

Maryland. . ..

12

3

3

Massachusetts

20

6

6

Michigan.....

10

6

6

Minnesota. ...

10

6

6

Mississippi. . .

7

6

3

Missouri.....

10

10

5

Montana........

10(b)

8

5

Nebraska. . ..

5‡‡

5

4

Nevada............

6

4

4

N. Hampshire

20

6

6

New Jersey...

20

6

6

New Mexico..

7

6

4

States and

Territories.

Judgments. Years.

Notes, Years.

Open

Acc'nts, Years.

New York... .

20 (n)

6

6§§

No. Carolina .

10

3*

3

No. Dakota. .

10

6

6§§

Ohio........

15(p)

15

6

Oklahoma. .. .

5(h)

5

3

Oregon..............

10

6

6

Pennsylvania

5(f)

6||

6

Rhode Island.

20

6

6

So. Carolina. .

20

6

6

So. Dakota. ..

10(l)

6

6

Tennessee. . ..

10

6

6

Texas.......

10‡‡

4

2

Utah........

8

6

4

Vermont............

8

6

6§§

Virginia......

20

5*

2¶

Washington. .

6

6

3

W. Virginia. .

10

10

5

Wisconsin. .. .

20(n)

6

6

Wyoming. ...

21

5

8

♦Under seal, 10 years, † If made in State; if outside, 2 years. § Unless a different rate is expressly stipulated. II Under seal, 20 years. Store accounts; other accounts 3 years; accounts between merchants 5 years. ††New York has by a recent law legalized any rate of interest on call loans of $5,000 or upward, on collateral security. ‡‡ Becomes dormant, but may be revived. §§Six years from last item. (a) Accounts Between merchants, 2 years. (6) In courts not of record, 5 years, (c) Witnessed, 20 years. (d) Twenty years in Courts of Record; in Justice's Court, 10 years. (e) Negotiable notes, 6 years, non-negotiable, 7 years. (/) Ceases to be a lien after that period. (h) On foreign judgments, 1 year. (i) Is a lien on real estate for only 10 years.(k) And indefinitely by having execution issue every 5 years. (l) Ten years foreign, 20 years domestic. (n) Not of record, 6 years. (o) No limit. (p) Foreign. Domestic, 6 years.