Chris:
The info I'm giving you is assuming you have:
1) Been living in New Jersey since the debt defaulted.
2) Have not made a payment on the debt.
The statute of limitations on all types of debt in the state of New Jersey is 6 years. So, this debt appears to be obsolete. (7 years is the timeclock for reporting on your credit report.)
Since you have limited time, I would consult with a NACA attorney that can be found at. For a relatively small retainer, they can file an answer with the court denying NCO's claims due to the fact the debt is SOL. The attorney can also file a counterclaim against NCO for filing a lawsuit on a debt they have no right to file on. (That would get your attorney's fees paid back.)
There are online forums that can help you with this thing if you have time to prepare a simple answer yourself.
AT ALL COSTS, DO NOT IGNORE THEM AND LET THEM GET A DEFAULT JUDGEMENT AGAINST YOU. It will follow you for decades, and in some states they can garnish wages or lien property (not sure about NJ on that subject though).
BE RIGHTEOUS AND TAKE THESE FOOLS TO THE GROUND.
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