Credit card companies garnishing wages?

**mrsjprice** · April 13th, 2008, 04:35 AM

If you owe money to credit cards, can they get the authority to garnish your wages or take away things which belong to you like a car or house?

**smcc** · April 13th, 2008, 08:20 AM

Banks have collection depts whose sole purpose is to collect money owed them by custormers who are either late or have stopped paying all together. The bank might decide to sell your account to an outside collection agency who will also try to collect an outside debt. As far as I know only agencies such as the IRS have tha ability to garnish wages or freeze your accounts in the ability to collect monies owed them

**mrsjprice** · April 13th, 2008, 12:12 PM

Thats scary to hear that. Dont they have to go through a court to get permission to garnish your wages? I suppose I best manage my money properly and make sure I can pay the bills.

**Meya** · April 13th, 2008, 12:19 PM

A lot of them talk-that-talk and don't even do anything. Depending on how much you owe I suppose. My sister told me that Household bank took her friend to court and that is how she just learned to pay them off. I received so many of them letter from creditors until it was not funny. They looked like actual Lawyers papers all typed in parchment luxury papers....lol I just threw them away or mailed some back to them with my lip prints (kiss) on my address full of ruby red. DNA was not that popular then....lol

I do believe that some will garnish or take your wages, they just have not taken mines.

**eugene66** · April 13th, 2008, 03:43 PM

check your state law because garnishment of wages and property varies in each state. in Texas(where i am) wages are exempt,except for child support,student loans and certain taxes.

**shanie1120** · April 13th, 2008, 04:26 PM

Credit card companies can garnish your wages and send garnishments through your bank account. I work for a credit union in the collection dept-weird!. Anyways I have to file lawsuits on people which could be garnishment or liens on their homes. In my office we also receive garnishments from discover,capital one, and the irs trying to get funds from peoples bank accounts. Many times when we decide to file legal the member has to have some assets or have current employment information and the person has to have no prior garnishments. As far as taking away your house, I don't think so. But my mother told me that the IRS can take your car if its paid for and in your name, not sure how true this is.

**Meya** · April 13th, 2008, 09:11 PM

exempt child support? Let me put the rumors out to the boys around my neighborhood and workplace...lol. Yeah they can garnish your Shanie, I have heard of it happening but only through friends of freinds. I am not trippin, I have learned my lesson the hard way....lol

**alpha** · April 14th, 2008, 10:02 AM

Banks and credit card companies can garnish your wages depending on what your state law allows for. I used to work for an agency that enforced child support payments and they did garnish wages. And if you owe money to the government they can reach a lot further.

**mrsjprice** · April 14th, 2008, 12:28 PM

I know child support can garnish your wages as that's happened with my boyfriend. That all went through quite quickly and they were taking money out of his next paycheck. He didnt have much say in the matter, which is fair enough as he should pay it anyway. I just hope that debt agencies or credit card compaines can't go, you owe us money were taking it out of your wages. Then there be nothing I can do.

**Crazy2k5** · April 14th, 2008, 12:36 PM

I know in New York they will garnish your paycheck. My aunt had an american express. Her daughter and her daughters husband were authorize users and they stuck her with the bill. They froze her bank accounts and they garnished her paycheck. She was heated because she got no type of warning. She went to the atm to get money and no funds were released and when she got her check there was money missing.

**mrsjprice** · April 14th, 2008, 04:33 PM

Oh now that is very harsh, you would expect by law that they would have to notify you in writing. Does this not scare anyone that it might happen to them? It terrifies me!

**Finance Globe** · April 15th, 2008, 03:02 AM

If you claim the homestead exemption for your primary residence, you may be protected depending on the state you are in. Look at your local laws.

**dreamr802** · April 15th, 2008, 10:22 AM

I haven't heard about that happenings. I thought only the IRS can garnish wages when you owe too much in taxes. I'm sorry that happened to your aunt with her amx card.

**happylady** · April 15th, 2008, 11:51 AM

I have SEVERAL outstanding old cc bills

and I haven't had any try and garnish my wages for them (I'm knockin' on some wood as I type this...)
but I have had a few payday loan companies try and garnish my wages.

Here in Cali the creditor has to go to court and get a judgement first and then ask your employer to garnish your wages...from what I understand the employer then has the right to refuse to enforce the garnishment (I just let it go through to get it out of the way but a friend of mine said she ask HER employer to refuse it and they did) at which point it just goes back to collections or written off as bad debt.

**alpha** · April 16th, 2008, 10:31 PM

I think it's harder in some states than others to get the authority to garnish wages. Some credit card companies seem to want to push it more than others (like AmEx in that example)