Legal Definitions - absent debtor

Definition: An absent debtor is someone who owes an obligation to another person, especially an obligation to pay money, but is beyond the geographic reach of ordinary service of process. This means that they cannot be easily located or served legal papers.

Examples:

• Absconding debtor: A debtor who flees from creditors to avoid having to pay a debt.
• Concealed debtor: A debtor who hides from creditors, usually with the intent to defraud the creditors or to avoid service of process, but does not leave the community or move out of state.

These examples illustrate how an absent debtor can take different forms. An absconding debtor may leave the state or country to avoid paying their debts, while a concealed debtor may stay in the same area but hide from creditors. In both cases, they are considered absent debtors because they cannot be easily located or served legal papers.