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Wage garnishments and collections

Started by Douglas Morgan3 · · 👁 56 views · 2.1K replies

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Participants Douglas Morgan3Kimberly Barnes8Jesse Mendoza60redcrane22John Clark6Benjamin Taylor6crimsonsailor7frozenbison60Daniel Martinez9Scott Johnson66Keith Parker3Frank Garcia85mistylynx55Michael Gonzalez6urbanorca91John Myers48Jack Palmer4Rebecca White4Nicholas Nguyen4Arthur Smith56nimbleheroncasualcyclist18Linda Fowler2Matthew Wilson59 …
gentlerider16 gentlerider16 Newcomer
4 messages
joined Mar 2015
#1441 ·
hollowmason64;53671199 said:If they haven't taken any action during that period—then yeah, they have.
Your best bet would be to head down to the courthouse first and actually take a look at the case file yourself.

The court doesn't really care about any of that...
And how exactly is it that you can't get hold of them?

They just don't pick up the phone for days on end...
hollowmason64 hollowmason64 Regular
411 messages
joined Jan 2016
#1442 ·
silentorca47 said:Thanks for the input. So, I hit up the legal department over at Verizon, and they’re claiming they sent off some paperwork back in 2003 and 2008, but honestly? I never saw a single thing. Does that actually count as an official attempt at service, or am I just getting the runaround?

If they’re claiming they sent stuff, there has to be a paper trail somewhere. You should ask them for copies of those delivery confirmations and proof that you supposedly failed to pick up the shipments.

gentlerider16 said:They just won't answer the phone. It's been days.

In that case, just skip the phone calls and send them a formal written request. Ask for a payment plan to settle the debt, and make sure to mention in the letter that you've tried calling repeatedly but nobody is picking up. Be sure to include your own number so they can actually reach you.
I remember dealing with something similar once—sending everything via Certified Mail with a Return Receipt (you know, that little orange card you get back). It'll cost you about $3.75, but it gives you physical proof that they received your request. That way, if they keep ignoring you, you can show up in court and prove you made a good-faith effort to settle the debt, but they just left you hanging.
George Allen71 George Allen71 Active Member
94 messages
joined Apr 2015
#1443 ·
I'm going to try asking here....
A guy I know is moving to Europe... he landed a job there... but what happens to his debt that’s already in collections? Specifically... can the US government, through the Federal Reserve and the court system, actually garnish his wages in an EU member state? And how likely is that to happen quickly?
Our long-term plan is to settle everything by handing over some real estate back home... but that process takes forever.
I'm just wondering if collections can actually be enforced and collected within EU countries... specifically Germany... and if so, how soon could that start?
ruggedmaker2 ruggedmaker2 Regular
469 messages
joined Mar 2018
#1444 ·
Of course, you can enforce these things in other European Union countries too.
The whole process works a bit differently—it uses a SEPA direct debit mandate. (Go ahead and Google that if you want the specifics.)
Whether the individual bailiff actually bothers to pull it off? That’s entirely up to them.
But if we're talking about a major bank, they might just go for it. As for when it happens, well, that depends on their internal timing, if they even decide to seize the funds at all, and I guess a bunch of other technical headaches.
hollowmason64 hollowmason64 Regular
411 messages
joined Jan 2016
#1445 ·
It really boils down to how much money we're talking about here. Honestly, you’ll most likely have plenty of breathing room to get everything sorted out before anyone even thinks about trying to push through a cross-border writ of execution.
neonpuma7 neonpuma7 Member
10 messages
joined Apr 2015
#1446 ·
A quick question for the group.

I owe Citibank two monthly installments. If I miss one more, they will likely move forward with a writ of execution. Neither my wife nor I have any way to cover this.

The loan amount is $20,000, and it has already been restructured over a 20-year term.
I am also making regular payments on a $6,000 loan at JPMorgan Chase.

My spouse is currently unemployed, and we have two children. I am inquiring about the availability of child benefits or related assistance under these circumstances. $133.
I suppose my salary has been processed. $1400.

I am curious whether a bank can garnish my spouse's life insurance policy, specifically regarding the premiums that have already been paid into it. $4000 I suppose I should ask, what exactly expires regarding the 2G?

I am a one-third owner of the apartment we currently live in. This property was granted to my mother, my sister, and me as a benefit for our family following the passing of a veteran. I am wondering if a bank could actually seize this apartment even though I only own a one-third share. If that were possible, how would they actually carry out that process in practice?

I hope I wasn't being difficult.

Thank you.
Bryan Johnson Bryan Johnson Newcomer
6 messages
joined Apr 2015
#1447 ·
neonpuma7 said:A quick question for the group.

I owe Citibank two monthly installments. If I miss one more, they will likely move forward with a writ of execution. Neither my wife nor I have any way to cover this.

The loan amount is $20,000, and it has already been restructured over a 20-year term.
I am also making regular payments on a $6,000 loan at JPMorgan Chase.

My spouse is currently unemployed, and we have two children. I am inquiring about the availability of child benefits or related assistance under these circumstances. $133.
I suppose my salary has been processed. $1400.

I am curious whether a bank can garnish my spouse's life insurance policy, specifically regarding the premiums that have already been paid into it. $4000 I suppose I should ask, what exactly expires regarding the 2G?

I am a one-third owner of the apartment we currently live in. This property was granted to my mother, my sister, and me as a benefit for our family following the passing of a veteran. I am wondering if a bank could actually seize this apartment even though I only own a one-third share. If that were possible, how would they actually carry out that process in practice?

I hope I wasn't being difficult.

Thank you.

They will most likely freeze your bank account first. I suggest opening a protected account where you can receive the portion of your income that is exempt from garnishment (about 2/3 of an average salary in the US). Also, child benefits are generally exempt from seizure.
hollowmason64 hollowmason64 Regular
411 messages
joined Jan 2016
#1448 ·
neonpuma7 said:A quick question for the group.

I owe Citibank two monthly installments. If I miss one more, they will likely move forward with a writ of execution. Neither my wife nor I have any way to cover this.

The loan amount is $20,000, and it has already been restructured over a 20-year term.
I am also making regular payments on a $6,000 loan at JPMorgan Chase.

My spouse is currently unemployed, and we have two children. I am inquiring about the availability of child benefits or related assistance under these circumstances. $133.
I suppose my salary has been processed. $1400.

I am curious whether a bank can garnish my spouse's life insurance policy, specifically regarding the premiums that have already been paid into it. $4000 I suppose I should ask, what exactly expires regarding the 2G?

I am a one-third owner of the apartment we currently live in. This property was granted to my mother, my sister, and me as a benefit for our family following the passing of a veteran. I am wondering if a bank could actually seize this apartment even though I only own a one-third share. If that were possible, how would they actually carry out that process in practice?

I hope I wasn't being difficult.

Thank you.

Of course they'll try to grab any liquid assets they can get their hands on. It’s usually spelled out right there in the fine print of your contract.

I'm a one-third owner of the apartment we live in. We inherited this place as a family benefit following a veteran's passing—it's shared between me, my sister, and my mom. Can the bank actually foreclose on the whole place even though I only own a third? And if they could, how would that even work in real life?

Look, banks generally treat this as a last resort when someone has absolutely no income left. In those cases, they'll typically just place a lien on the property, meaning nothing happens until you actually decide to sell the place.

Honestly, you should try to make at least some kind of payment, even if it's just a partial amount to show good faith.
George Allen71 George Allen71 Active Member
94 messages
joined Apr 2015
#1449 ·
I’m no lawyer... just a banker... but here’s a little tip: at Citibank, they don't focus nearly as much on how long you've been in arrears as they do on the actual dollar amount you owe. Basically, once you miss two payments, the account gets kicked over to the collections department. If you can, I'd really suggest trying to pay at least a portion of the installment and keeping the total overdue amount to under two missed payments if there's any way possible.
You also mentioned that loan at JPMorgan Chase... they look strictly at the duration of the delinquency... so if you fall behind by $5.00 after about two months, they’ll go straight to filing for a writ of execution...
I know any bit of advice helps... so there you go.
neonorca84 neonorca84 Newcomer
2 messages
joined Apr 2015
#1450 ·
Hey there.

I have a practical question regarding debt collection. Sorry if this is obvious, but I’ve been reading for hours and still can't find an answer. I have a final judgment stating that three debtors are jointly and severally liable to pay back the money I was defrauded of. What is the next step? Some people say I can go straight to the Federal Reserve to freeze their accounts, but others claim they won't recognize the judgment as an enforceable instrument and will just send it back.
The second thing is that I have no idea how much cash they actually have in their accounts. I’d rather just send a request to the Department of Justice, the Social Security Administration, and the IRS to inventory their assets, property, and wages. Is attaching the judgment enough for that request, or does a writ of execution need to be initiated first (by whom, the court or what?) before those inventories can be requested? And does a lawyer HAVE to write the writ of execution? They’ll definitely charge me a few thousand dollars for it. What happens once a motion for judgment is drafted? Where does that even go?
Sorry if I'm being unclear, but I’d really appreciate it if someone could explain—step by step, like I'm an idiot—what I need to do after getting this judgment so I can finally get my money back.

Thanks!
John Clark6 John Clark6 Regular
290 messages
joined Jun 2011
#1451 ·
You honestly think you could handle running this whole legal process online by yourself? Oh, please... I mean, really...
Besides, you’ll actually get those attorney fees reimbursed in the end—so if I were in your shoes, I’d definitely hire a lawyer. Since you practically have a judgment in your favor already, you've basically got 50% of the battle won!
neonorca84 neonorca84 Newcomer
2 messages
joined Apr 2015
#1452 ·
John Clark6 said:You honestly think you could handle running this whole legal process online by yourself? Oh, please... I mean, really...
Besides, you’ll actually get those attorney fees reimbursed in the end—so if I were in your shoes, I’d definitely hire a lawyer. Since you practically have a judgment in your favor already, you've basically got 50% of the battle won!

Right. And who knows when I'll actually see that money back after dealing with a hundred procedural idiots and paying out cash I don't even have? Lawyers will charge me a few hundred bucks just for a quick consultation, let alone anything else. Given how they handled this case, it's such a mess I don't even have words. Of course, I planned on hiring someone to draft the motion for judgment, but I figured if anyone here knew the actual order of operations, I could at least skip paying for advice on that part. My last interaction was just being heard by $133 (with zero actual advice). Thanks. You've been incredibly helpful.
Richard Jackson11 Richard Jackson11 Newcomer
1 message
joined Apr 2015
#1453 ·
Hey

So this kid owes AT&T some cash (mobile plan is roughly $1000). Since he doesn't even have a bank account, a writ of execution is basically useless—not that we even know if they've tried to pull anything yet. My question is: is there any way this debt just hits the statute of limitations and dies off after a while? I'm not sure what that window actually looks like. Plus, the guy doesn't own any property.
ruggedmaker2 ruggedmaker2 Regular
469 messages
joined Mar 2018
#1454 ·
Look, your boyfriend probably has parents. Why not just ask them to help him cover this? Problem solved,
Dodging your bills isn't a lifestyle choice, it's just asking for trouble.
Joshua Gray75 Joshua Gray75 Active Member
92 messages
joined Oct 2013
#1455 ·
Could someone with a legal background please walk me through how—and on what specific grounds—they would actually initiate a garnishment proceeding? It’s because hasn't provided a receipt for the payment yet. 🤦

Look, the money was paid; there’s a clear transaction ID on the payment order... I just don't understand how the bookkeeping works over at the Office of Management and Budget... 🤦

Fine, it isn't exactly rocket science to send that damn confirmation, so we'll send it... (the bit above is purely a hypothetical question, just out of curiosity...)
Still, I fail to see why the government feels entitled to treat us like complete idiots... nobody should have to go out of their way to send proof of payment to the Office of Management and Budget...

🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
ruggedmaker2 ruggedmaker2 Regular
469 messages
joined Mar 2018
#1456 ·
Government agencies? Man, they’re a whole different breed of weird. It’s like an entire parallel universe over there. Everything they do is buried under a mountain of red tape, endless regulations, and those massive union contracts that basically make them untouchable. You look at some of these employees and you honestly can't tell if they're actually working. They might spend their entire eight-hour shift staring at a wall, or maybe they grind through fifteen pages of paperwork—but more likely, they barely touch two. At the end of the day, the paycheck hits the same regardless, and good luck trying to change that. Nothing moves.

Honestly, don't waste your breath. You'll just end up giving yourself a headache. 😁
Just mail them the confirmation and call it a day.
Thomas Palmer10 Thomas Palmer10 Newcomer
2 messages
joined May 2013
#1457 ·
I guess I’ll join the complaining club for a moment... Just to be clear, I really messed up years ago and I'm trying to make things right now, but it feels like I'm just fighting a losing battle against pure spite. Back in 2001, I took out a $5,000 loan—which felt like a lot back then—and, well, life happened. I lost my job, hit some health issues that kept me out of work for three years during rehab, and suddenly the whole debt was due. My co-signers were left holding the bag, though somehow we managed to scrape together payments to keep them afloat. Long story short, according to their math, I still owe them about 38 $0.00 (WTF!!!!!), which is basically what I originally borrowed. In reality, they've already collected over 100 $0.00 from me and my co-signers combined. I decided to finally settle this, so I called the sharks at Chase, only to be passed around between predatory law firms and collection agencies. They're demanding 24,000 to settle, while I'm offering the 19 $0.00 in cash that I actually have on hand. They won't even budge for 5 $0.00... It's unbelievable. My only other option is to keep doing what I've been doing: paying my co-signer every month the exact amount the bank strips from them, which is $263 monthly. I don't get why they're being so stubborn and refusing a settlement when they've already taken so much. Honestly, if they want to be this greedy, fine... go ahead and keep collecting $263 every month for the next five years. Unbelievable... I saw online that they've actually forgiven people amounts close to 50 $0.00 on an 89,000 debt or something like that... it's just total madness
hollowmason64 hollowmason64 Regular
411 messages
joined Jan 2016
#1458 ·
Joshua Gray75 said:Could someone with a legal background please walk me through how—and on what specific grounds—they would actually initiate a garnishment proceeding? It’s because hasn't provided a receipt for the payment yet. 🤦

Look, the money was paid; there’s a clear transaction ID on the payment order... I just don't understand how the bookkeeping works over at the Office of Management and Budget... 🤦

Fine, it isn't exactly rocket science to send that damn confirmation, so we'll send it... (the bit above is purely a hypothetical question, just out of curiosity...)
Still, I fail to see why the government feels entitled to treat us like complete idiots... nobody should have to go out of their way to send proof of payment to the Office of Management and Budget...

🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

Did the official notice actually state that you had to provide a receipt?
If it didn't, and if you feel like being a little difficult, you could always give their accounting department a hard time for failing their duty 😁:zločesta:
James Scott12 James Scott12 Newcomer
1 message
joined Apr 2015
#1459 ·
Here is the situation. I have several questions regarding a garnishment and an ongoing legal proceeding. To give you all enough context so you can offer the best advice, I’ll start from the beginning. 🙂

I have been separated since 20XX. My ex-husband and son managed to set up various service contracts—internet, Max subscriptions, and things like that—using my information through AT&T customer service. I canceled everything within my power, but I was essentially forced to pay those bills on their behalf. At least, I was paying the ones I received before the separation while I was still living with them. Because I haven't been able to register at a new address, I am still officially listed at my old residence. I have already appeared in court twice over this exact same issue. Each time, their lawyers failed to show up, and the judge dismissed the case. Just the day before yesterday, I had to go back to court for the same matter yet again (this makes it three times now), only to find their attorney actually present this time. The moment we stepped into the courtroom, she attacked me, claiming that because I changed my name, I am responsible for everything. Essentially, she is holding me liable for unpaid balances that I never even knew existed, using my Social Security number as proof of identity. We have another hearing scheduled for May. I have protested every single time. I have written detailed appeals and laid out my arguments, but I am at my wits' end. I am currently living on minimum wage as a renter, and my landlords are hesitant to register my residency... and I’m not sure if it would be wise to ask someone else to register me at their address. Can anyone advise me? What should my next move be? I have all my documentation ready. Should I try to contact the judge directly? She presided over one of my previous hearings. Should I be filing more formal appeals? To whom, and what kind? Please, I need help.
Benjamin Taylor6 Benjamin Taylor6 Regular
577 messages
joined Apr 2017
#1460 ·
I can't quite wrap my head around what you're getting at here—it’s a bit vague, isn't it? A little cryptic, perhaps. If you've got a point to make or a specific grievance to air, just lay it out on the table. I'm all ears, though I usually prefer a bit more substance before I dive into a discussion. kaže:
Hey there.

So, this kid owes money to AT&T—we're talking about a mobile plan, right? Something in the ballpark of... $1000So, looking at this situation—since the guy doesn't even have an active bank account, the whole enforcement process is basically hitting a brick wall... I mean, we don't even know if they’ve actually attempted to pull the funds yet—my main question is: is there any way this debt just... expires? You know, goes into statute of limitations territory? I’m not entirely sure what the legal window for that looks like here in the States, but it seems like a massive loophole. On top of that, he hasn't got a single piece of real estate to his name. It's just one thing after another with these cases.


I realized something incredibly important today—something that really puts things into perspective:

Theoretically speaking, here in the States... Look, let me get this straight—there is absolutely no such thing as a statute of limitations kicking in if the creditor actually gets their act together and files the paperwork for an enforcement order. It doesn't matter how long you think they've been sitting on it; once those legal documents are officially submitted to the court, that clock effectively stops. I remember dealing with some nonsense involving a utility bill back in Chicago years ago—I thought I was home free because they hadn't sent a notice in months, only to find out the legal gears were already turning behind the scenes. It’s a bit of a headache, honestly, but that’s just how the system works here in the States. Once the filing hits the desk, the game changes.

So, I finally got that enforcement order in the mail the other day—you know, one of those official notices that makes your stomach drop just seeing the envelope from the county clerk. It’s one of those things where you think everything was settled, you think you've done the work, and then—bam—legal paperwork lands on your doorstep like a freight train out of nowhere. Honestly, it’s enough to make anyone lose their cool for a second. $67 Wait, hold on—are you telling me I missed a phone bill from November 2006?! Seriously?! !!!!!!!!!!!!!????????
So, here’s the deal—the attorney representing AT&T received the formal request and handed it off to their legal firm, but those guys just went ahead and sent it out for enforcement only a few days ago. It feels like one of those situations where things move just a little too fast for comfort—you know, that sudden rush to pull the trigger before everyone has even had a chance to catch their breath? It reminds me of when I was dealing with some paperwork back in Chicago years ago; everything seemed settled, then suddenly, the hammer comes down out of nowhere. Just a bit much, if you ask me.
Look, if anyone actually thinks they’ve dodged a bullet just because ten years have crawled by—well, they’re dead wrong. It’s a massive misconception. Under the current legal framework here in the States, a collections agent can basically sit on their hands and wait to execute a judgment for as long as they damn well please. There aren't any hard expiration dates on these things that people realize. I remember back when I was dealing with some old credit issues—nothing major, just some messy paperwork from a decade ago—and I thought I was in the clear because the statute of limitations felt like it had passed. Turns out, the collectors were just playing the long game, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. So, don't go thinking you're off the hook just because time has passed; the clock doesn't necessarily stop working in your favor.

James Scott12 said:Here is the situation. I have several questions regarding a garnishment and an ongoing legal proceeding. To give you all enough context so you can offer the best advice, I’ll start from the beginning. 🙂

I have been separated since 20XX. My ex-husband and son managed to set up various service contracts—internet, Max subscriptions, and things like that—using my information through AT&T customer service. I canceled everything within my power, but I was essentially forced to pay those bills on their behalf. At least, I was paying the ones I received before the separation while I was still living with them. Because I haven't been able to register at a new address, I am still officially listed at my old residence. I have already appeared in court twice over this exact same issue. Each time, their lawyers failed to show up, and the judge dismissed the case. Just the day before yesterday, I had to go back to court for the same matter yet again (this makes it three times now), only to find their attorney actually present this time. The moment we stepped into the courtroom, she attacked me, claiming that because I changed my name, I am responsible for everything. Essentially, she is holding me liable for unpaid balances that I never even knew existed, using my Social Security number as proof of identity. We have another hearing scheduled for May. I have protested every single time. I have written detailed appeals and laid out my arguments, but I am at my wits' end. I am currently living on minimum wage as a renter, and my landlords are hesitant to register my residency... and I’m not sure if it would be wise to ask someone else to register me at their address. Can anyone advise me? What should my next move be? I have all my documentation ready. Should I try to contact the judge directly? She presided over one of my previous hearings. Should I be filing more formal appeals? To whom, and what kind? Please, I need help.

It’s one of those things that just gets under my skin—this whole situation where people are stuck renting, living under someone else's roof, while their landlord refuses to actually register them or file the proper paperwork. It’s a mess, really. You’re essentially living in a legal gray area through no fault of your own, just because the person holding the keys wants to dodge taxes or stay off the radar of the local authorities. I remember back when I was staying in a small apartment over in San Francisco—nothing fancy, just a place to crash—and the guy running the building was the same kind of character. He’d look you right in the eye, take your cash, and then act like you didn't even exist if anyone from the city offices came knocking. It puts you in such a vulnerable position. Without that official registration, you have zero leverage. You’re basically a ghost in the system. No proof of residency for a driver's license, no paper trail for credit scores, and absolutely nothing to protect you if things go sideways with the lease. It’s predatory, honestly—taking someone's hard-earned money while denying them the basic security of being a recognized tenant. I mean, if things really go south, I can always reach out to social services—then my official residence would just be listed as a state-run facility. It’s a bit of a grim thought, honestly, but sometimes you have to look at the fallback options when everything else falls apart.
I saw a similar situation play out once with a buddy of mine—he actually ended up selling his condo just to clear out his debts. It was a tough call, but sometimes you just have to liquidate everything to get back to zero.
So, he ended up basically living as a free tenant in some old guy's basement—an old man who, quite frankly, refused to report him to the authorities. It’s one of those messy situations that just keeps spiraling. He actually let me in on the fact that people in that kind of spot can technically file themselves as homeless... which, if you think about it, opens up a whole different set of legal headaches.

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