A clarification on "discharged" debt

What do you mean by discharged? I understand that as a bankruptcy term. When you file for bankruptcy, you are discharged from your debts. If that's the case, the collection agency cannot still pursue you.

However, if you mean the debt was "charged off" by the creditor, that's different. A charged-off debt is still owed. It simply means the creditor has decided to write it off as a loss. Charged-off debts are often sold to debt purchasers (often these are collection agencies), which will then try to collect from the debtor. I don't know what the statute of limitations is in Pennsylvania for how long an item can remain on your credit report.

You might find that information on http://www.creditboards.com/