{"id":18544,"date":"2026-05-30T23:46:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T21:46:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediadorconflictos.com\/?p=18544"},"modified":"2026-05-31T00:06:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T22:06:23","slug":"are-you-owed-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediadorconflictos.com\/en\/are-you-owed-money\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Owed Money?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are You Owed Money?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Perhaps the problem is not only getting paid, but running out of time to claim it<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Unpaid invoices, overdue rent, debt recovery, mediation for unpaid debts and limitation periods in Spain.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A client who does not pay an invoice.<\/p>\n

A tenant who has accumulated unpaid rent.<\/p>\n

A renovation completed months ago that still has not been paid for.<\/p>\n

A client who never seems to find the right moment to pay.<\/p>\n

At first, it looks like a minor delay. Then the months go by. And before you realise it, years have passed.<\/p>\n

Most people in this situation believe that the main problem is recovering their money. However, there is another risk that is less visible and, in some cases, far more serious: allowing so much time to pass that the debt becomes time-barred.<\/p>\n

Every day that passes may bring you closer to permanently losing your right to make a claim.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a conflict mediator in Barcelona, one of the situations I encounter most frequently involves individuals, self-employed professionals, tradespeople and small businesses with outstanding amounts owed to them. Sometimes extra time is granted because there is a good relationship with the other party. In other cases, people try to avoid conflict. And very often they simply wait because they believe there will always be time to take action later.<\/p>\n

But time does not always work in the creditor’s favour.<\/p>\n

Debts do not last forever<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a widespread belief that a debt can be claimed at any time. Legally, this is not the case.<\/p>\n

Spanish legislation establishes different limitation periods depending on the nature of the claim. In many common situations (unpaid invoices, provision of services, professional work, renovations, installations or claims arising from contracts), Article 1964.2 of the Spanish Civil Code applies.<\/p>\n

This provision establishes that personal actions for which no specific limitation period has been established become time-barred after five years from the moment performance of the obligation can be demanded.<\/p>\n

Put simply, if that period passes without taking certain actions to claim the debt or interrupt the limitation period, the creditor may find that they have lost the possibility of enforcing payment through the courts.<\/p>\n

And when that happens, the problem is no longer how to get paid.<\/p>\n

The problem becomes that you can no longer make a claim.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It should also be remembered that not all debts are subject to the same limitation period. Some claims are governed by different deadlines, and certain actions may interrupt the limitation period and cause the time limit to start running again. For this reason, it is advisable to analyse each case individually before allowing more time to pass.<\/p>\n

You do not need to start legal proceedings in order to take action<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many people associate debt recovery with a lengthy, expensive and uncertain court process.<\/p>\n

However, taking action does not necessarily mean filing a lawsuit.<\/p>\n

In many cases there is still room to open a dialogue, clarify positions and explore reasonable solutions. Sometimes the conflict does not concern the existence of the debt itself, but rather difficulties in making payment, disagreements over certain amounts or simply the absence of effective communication between the parties.<\/p>\n

Mediation provides a structured, confidential and professional environment in which these situations can be addressed.<\/p>\n

Through mediation it is possible to negotiate payment schedules, acknowledgements of debt, deferred payment arrangements or other solutions that may help resolve a dispute without immediately resorting to court proceedings.<\/p>\n

Organic Law 1\/2025 has also strengthened the role of Appropriate Dispute Resolution Methods (MASC), encouraging parties to seek negotiated solutions before initiating certain legal proceedings.<\/p>\n

A problem that affects far more people than it may seem<\/strong><\/p>\n

When we think about unpaid debts, we often imagine large companies or major commercial disputes. The reality, however, is very different.<\/p>\n

Many claims involve landlords who are not receiving rent payments, self-employed professionals who have completed their work correctly, contractors who have finished a project, small businesses, professional service providers or SMEs facing invoices that remain unpaid for months.<\/p>\n

Disputes also arise between family members, former business partners or people who once shared a relationship based on trust.<\/p>\n

All of them share the same concern: recovering money that rightfully belongs to them.<\/p>\n

The best time to act is now<\/strong><\/p>\n

Experience shows that many financial claims do not fail because the debt does not exist, but because people wait too long before taking action.<\/p>\n

A new promise of payment is accepted.<\/p>\n

One final opportunity is granted.<\/p>\n

A summer, a holiday period or a change in financial circumstances is allowed to pass.<\/p>\n

And before anyone notices, months or even years have gone by.<\/p>\n

For this reason, whenever there is an outstanding debt, it is advisable to assess the available options as soon as possible, understand the applicable limitation periods and consider whether negotiation or mediation may help recover the amount owed.<\/p>\n

You do not need to start legal proceedings in order to take action.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But it is important to act before it is too late.<\/p>\n

If you are owed money and have doubts about whether a claim is still possible, about the applicable limitation periods or about whether mediation may be appropriate before commencing court proceedings, an early assessment may make the difference between recovering a debt and permanently losing the opportunity to do so.<\/p>\n

Frequently Asked Questions About Debt Recovery<\/strong><\/p>\n

How long do I have to claim a debt?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It depends on the type of debt. In many cases, personal actions arising from contracts become time-barred after five years in accordance with Article 1964.2 of the Spanish Civil Code.<\/p>\n

Is it necessary to file a lawsuit in order to claim a debt?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. Before going to court, other options such as negotiation, conciliation or mediation may be explored.<\/p>\n

Can mediation help recover unpaid invoices?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes. Mediation can help parties reach payment agreements, acknowledgements of debt or repayment schedules without the need to initiate court proceedings.<\/p>\n

What happens if a debt becomes time-barred?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once the limitation period has expired, it may no longer be possible to enforce the debt through the courts. This is why it is important to act before the applicable legal deadline expires.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Daniel Sererols Villal\u00f3n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Conflict Mediator and Private Conciliator<\/p>\n

Registered with the Spanish Ministry of Justice, the Centre for Mediation of Catalonia and the Barcelona Bar Association.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcde Tel. +34 661 463 306<\/p>\n

\u2709\ufe0f daniel@mediadorconflictos.com<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are You Owed Money? Perhaps the problem is not only getting paid, but running out of time to claim it Unpaid invoices, overdue rent, debt recovery, mediation for unpaid debts and limitation periods in Spain. A client who does not pay an invoice. A tenant…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":18531,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[74,68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conflict-mediator","category-mediation-and-conciliation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediadorconflictos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediadorconflictos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediadorconflictos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediadorconflictos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediadorconflictos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18544"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mediadorconflictos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18545,"href":"https:\/\/mediadorconflictos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18544\/revisions\/18545"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediadorconflictos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediadorconflictos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediadorconflictos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediadorconflictos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}