Suing a Sibling

[jjbass]

12 years ago I agreed to pay $4500 cash to the courts to keep my sister from going to jail. The money was for the victims in a case where my sister was a crack cocaine addict and had stole money to support her habit. She had agreed to pay me and my husband back, in her words, "as long as it takes". She only paid a $500.00 payment towards the debt and then nothing else. Last year, she contacted me via a letter that said, "I owe you a personsal and a financial amends", and asked me to attend her baby shower to talk to her. I went and after the shower we had a discussion where she said that she would either send me a check for the full amount or she would make several large payments. When I never received anything, again, I decided to write her a letter asking her to settle this debt, or I would take it further. She ignored the letter. I filed in small claims court for the balance of $4000.00 that she owes. If she claims that it's been too long, statue of limitations for the oral agreement, can't I claim that we came to a new agreement just last year at the baby shower....since we did and she actually said that she'd send me a check??

Yes--that is fine and is the law.