Charge-off
When a lender writes a defaulted loan off its books — usually the moment it’s sold to a debt buyer.
What "charge-off" means
A charge-off is an accounting step: after a loan goes unpaid for a set period (often 120–180 days), the lender declares it a loss and removes it from its active books. A charge-off does not cancel the debt — you can still be pursued — but it usually marks the point where the account is sold.
That is why the entity contacting you about an old tribal loan is often a debt buyer, not the original lender. A charged-off, sold balance is also frequently the weakest to collect, especially if the underlying loan was void in your state.