employee's rights and responsibilities to employer for overused personal time off under PA employment law

Before your question can be answered, you need to give us more information.

Do you have an employment contract, a written policy on the subject or an employment manual? If so, what does it say about reimbursement of the company for overuse of paid time off? You didn't say how you earn time off and how long it would have taken you to earn that much paid time off.

I'm surprised that the company didn't settle up with you when you left. Did you have an agreement on the subject, written or oral? Were you entitled to severance pay? Did you receive it? Have you applied for unemployment benefits? Were they contested by the company? What happened?

I have more questions, but I need the answers to these questions first. I'm asking because I'm looking for a possible defense for you, but I can't make bricks without straw.

CLT

I completely agree with Atty. Tuttle and would add that it's likely that the employers' employee handbook and the application for employment you signed ...both contained a clear disclaimer of contract. Translation: Absent a contractual obligation to repay PTO, it's quite doubtful that your former employer will take any further action. While seeking local legal counsel is the prudent move, if you have any concern about what kind of employment reference you will receive should you ultimately decide not to repay this amount, let me suggest that sometime in the next 3-6 months you ask a friend who may be in their own business to seek an employment reference from this company. It's always a good practice to know what is being said. Good luck and best regards, Rob Fortgang