Oregon Wage Garnishment...How to Prevent...How to Stop

A wage garnishment can be financially devastating, taking 25% of you net, take-home paycheck!

Here what you need to know to prevent or how to stop garnishments.

woman_on_floor_with_all_her_bills.jpgA wage garnishment doesn't "just happen".  After years and years of assisting people with debt problems, it still always amazes me when one of our prospects or newer clients that have received a notice from their employer that their pay check is going to be garnished, says something like:

I had no idea that this could happen.  I never received anything about it.

 How did this happen?

OK... Time Out!!!

A wage garnishment (technically called a Writ of Garnishment) can't happen without several steps preceding the order.

Let's start from the start...

You have several credit cards or other unsecured debts and because of something that has happened to you, such as:

  • Divorce
  • Severe illness or disability
  • Death of spouse or loved one
  • Too little fixed income after retirement

...now you just cannot keep up with the minimum payments due and start missing payments or just stop making payments all together.

When this happens, the creditor will start calling and writing letters trying to find out what is going on and to see if something can be done to get you to start making payments again.

If you ignore these calls and/or letters (and many, many people do), then the original creditor has no choice but to charge off, transfer or even sell the account to a debt collector or debt buyer.

Now the calls and letters really start to increase!

The good news is that you can put a stop to these annoying and sometimes harassing calls:

STOP Collection Calls Free Sample Letter

Just follow the link above, and the calls will stop.

But, that doesn't mean that these debt collectors are going to stop their efforts to get you to pay!

So what should you do?

Let's say that you have several credit cards and because of going through a serious illness or injury, you have not been able to work, your income went down, and now, you are not able to make even the minimum required payments due.

When the creditor or collector calls, you may be able to negotiate a SETTLEMENT.

Again, depending on a number of circumstances, the creditor or collector may accept an amount that is 40% - 60% of the balance.

If you don't engage them, then the creditor or collector may decide to FILE A CLAIM against you in the county court where you live.

After the Claim has been filed, a SUMMONS will be issued and you will be SERVED the summons.  This could be at home or even at work!

When you receive the Summons, again, you CAN NOT IGNORE THE SUMMONS!  Even after the summons has issued and served, you should still be able to negotiate either a settlement or a repayment agreement.

But, if you don't, then there will be a court date set, and the creditor/collector will be awarded a DEFAULT JUDGMENT.

Once the judgment has been awarded, the Plaintiff (creditor/collector) can apply for a WRIT OFGARNISHMENT.  This will be sent to your employer and your employer has no choice but to obey the Writ!

Most likely, your state demands that the employer withhold an additions 25% of your net check (after taxes and required deductions have been removed).

This can be devastating!  Here's an example:

  • You earn $36,000/year or $3,000/month.  
  • You are paid every two weeks and that bi-monthly check is $1500.
  • State and Federal taxes equal 30%, so $450 is withheld and your net check is now $1,050.
  • Your employer must withhold an additions 25% or $262.50.
  • That's $525 each month!  You think it was hard to pay bills before...

I'm thinking you are starting to understand, that you cannot just ignore your debts, letters or calls, and especially a summons.

If you did, and now you have a wage garnishment, here's what you can do:

Contact the attorney for the plaintiff (that's the collector or creditor).

Explain you situation and if you have it (most likely you won't) offer a lump sum settlement on a reduced balance.

Usually, they won't take a reduction, but if the offer is large enough, they might.

Most of the time, they will be willing to accept an agreement whereby you pay them, say $200 -$300 a month (instead of, in this example, $525/month).

But, due to your financial hardship, you just can't afford any payment or the garnishment?

In this case, you should seek the services of a bankruptcy attorney.  This may be your only choice to protect yourself from the creditors!

I hope you understand my simple point....

  • A wage garnishment doesn't just happen.
  • If it does, you still have options.
  • The key is to take action!  Don't just "hide your head in the sand"!

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Tags: stop wage garnishment, dealing with debt collectors, summons, how to prevent wage garnishment, oregon wage garnishment, default judgment

Oregon Wage Garnishment...Now What?

If you live in Oregon and receive a notice that your wages are going to be garnished, here's what you need to do:

We get calls almost every day from someone who has just received a notice from their employer that they are going to have their check garnished.

Most of those callers seem surprised by the garnishment, and yet, they should have know it might happen!

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First of all, a wage garnishment cannot "just happen".

Carrying too much debt (specifically, unsecured debt) plagues 7 out of 10 people.

Most of our clients called us because they had experienced a devastating experience in their lives which caused them to turn to the easy access of credit cards for help.

See if this sounds familiar:

You lost your job.  But, you weren't too worried, because you were pretty sure you'd find another one within a couple of months or so.

Well, it just didn't happen.  

So, you burned through what ever little bit of emergency savings you had and now, you had to start using your credit card for things like:

  • Gasoline
  • Groceries
  • And/or for that major appliance repair!

Soon, your were at the limit on your card and had to start using a second card.

You knew you shouldn't, but what else could you do?

As the months went by, and you still could not find a job that at least would pay you as much as your old job, the bills started adding up and up and up!

It wasn't long before you just couldn't keep up with the minimum payments on your credit cards and missed a payment here and there.

Soon, the creditors started sending "nasty" letters threatening this or that.

And if the letters weren't bad enough, the CALLS STARTED! Lots of calls!

Sure, you tried to explain your situation to the agent calling, but they didn't seem to care.  So, you stopped answering the calls. 

BY-THE-WAY...

As long as your account is with the original creditor, you cannot stop the calls.  You agreed to this somewhere in the fine print when you applied for the credit card.

But, after a month or so, the calls stopped and the letters seem to slow down as well.

You were hoping that maybe they would forget about you so you would have more time to find a good job and get caught up.

The good news...

You finally were hired and the salary was even just a little more than before!

The bad news...

 

Your account was charged off by your original creditor and assigned or sold to a DEBT COLLECTION COMPANY.

Now you began to get letters and calls from the debt collector, and you soon realized that they were a less sympathetic than the original agent was!Much less!

So, you stopped answering the phone.  

Even though they left a message, you didn't return it because you knew that it wouldn't do any good.

BY-THE-WAY... 

Now you can put a stop to the collection calls!  Here's how:

STOP Collection Calls Free Sample Letter

Well, the calls did stop, but the letters kept coming.

Some of the letters had a SETTLEMENT OFFER, and although it was an offer to reduce the amount you owed, you were still digging your way out of the financial hole you were in and just couldn't afford to pay 50%-75% of the balance in a lump sum within 30 days!  

COME ON.....REALLY?

A few more months went by and then one evening, the door bell rings and there's a guy with a registered letter for you.

You sign for it...open it up...and guess what????

YOUR HAVE JUST RECEIVED A SUMMONS!

You start to read the first page and it sounds like you are going to have to go to court to give an "answer" about your debt!

The truth is, that you don't have to go to court (at least not yet).  

The ANSWER is a legally prepared explanation with the proper PROOF that you do not owe this debt that the summons says you owe!

But, since you know you owe the debt, you don't do anything.

Again, THE GOOD NEWS....

You don't hear anything for a couple of more months.

But, THE BAD NEWS...

Since you didn't do anything about the summons, the PLAINTIFF (that's the debt collector and/or original creditor) was awarded a JUDGMENT against you for the full balance at the time of default...plus interest...plus fees... and court costs!

This is also called a DEFAULT JUDGMENT as it was awarded without defense, by default by you, the DEFENDANT.

Up to this point, the creditor/debt collector COULD NOT apply for a garnishment.  

Many people mistakenly think that if they just get behind on their bills that a creditor or debt collector can just "take their money or property".

No, they have to go through the whole legal process first.

But now, AND ONLY NOW, with the DEFAULT JUDGMENT, the Plaintiff can apply for a Writ of Garnishment.

And, now you get a notice from your employer that they received a WRIT OF GARNISHMENT on you.

This means that they have no option but to withhold 25% (the usual amount in most states) from each of your paychecks until the full amount is repaid. 

And oh, by-the-way, each state allows additional interest to be added!  

  • Here in Oregon, it is 9% annually.  
  • In Washington, it's 12%!

Now let's stop for a minute and do some math.

  • Let's say you earned $5,000/month from you new job, and you receive approximately $2,500 every two weeks. 
  • After City, State and Federal taxes are deducted, your net/take-home pay is $1,750 every two weeks.
  • Take $1,750 less 25% for the wage garnishment, and now your take-home pay is only $1,225!  
  • It was tough paying all the bills on $1,750 every two weeks, but now, you are going to have $525 less or a total of $1,050 less each month!
  • $525 is mailed to the Plaintiff, and will be until the full balance from the judgment is satisfied!

How in the world are going to make it now!

You only have a couple of options:

  • DEBT SETTLEMENT
  • BANKRUPTCY

I'm not going to get into all of the details of the two options above in this blog, but if you'd like more information, click below:

OPTIONS FOR STOPPING A WAGE GARNISHMENT

Let me wrap this up...

The time to put a stop to a garnishment, in Oregon or any state, is BEFORE the creditor/debt collector FILES A CLAIM to start the SUMMONS/JUDGMENT process.

Most of the time, a debt collector would much rather accept a SETTLEMENT instead of going through all the time and expense of seeking a judgment.

Even if you have a JUDGMENT AGAINST YOU, there is still an opportunity to STOP THE LEGAL PROCESS.

You should be able to get a STIPULATED AGREEMENT in place that would stop the creditor/debt collector from moving forward with legal action.

If all of this sounds good, but you need some help or advice, let us know.

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Tags: wage garnishment, Bankruptcy, debt collectors, default judgment, Oregon

Can a Debt Collector Garnish Retirement Income?

can a debt collector garnish retirement incomeCan a Debt Collector Garnish Retirement Income?

The answer is NO!

First of all, if you fall behind on your credit card or other debt payments, your creditors don't have the right to automatically garnish any sort of income.  Before a creditor can get a writ of garnishment, they have a whole set of hurdles to get over.

The creditor will write you multiple harsh letters and call you over and over!  They will use many dirty tricks of debt collection to try and collect the debt.

If the collector is unsuccessful in getting you to pay up, then they may decide to file a complaint and you would receive a SUMMONS.  If you owe the debt or you decide not to appear in court to fight the summons, your creditor will be awarded a DEFAULT JUDGEMENT adn they can apply for a WRIT OF GARNISHMENT.

For a great article about What To Do If You Receive A Summons <--- Click This Link

If your only source of income is from one of the following, they CANNOT GARNISH IT!!!

  • Social Security benefits
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  • Welfare or public assistance
  • Spousal support or child support
  • Public or private pensions
  • Veterans benefits and/or loans
  • Disability proceeds of life insurance policies
  • Cash surrender value of life insurance policies

WARNING:

If you deposit your retirement income (pension, Social Security...) together with any other source of income (part-time job...), then THE ENTIRE ACCOUNT COULD BE SUBJECT TO A BANK LEVY!

As long as you DO NOT CO-MINGLE your retirement income with any other source of income, then the retirement income is safe!

If you are struggling to pay off your debt, or know someone who is being threatened with a garnishment, our Debt Settlement team can help you settle your debts for 50% or less that what you owe!  Give us a call at 1-877-492-4109 or click this link for a FREE Debt Consultation.

can a debt collector garnish social security

 

 

 

Tags: stop the collection calls, can a debt collector garnish retirement income, default judgment

Wage Garnishment in Oregon

If you are delinquent in paying your debts, a creditor can decide to pursue all legal avenues including wage garnishment.

But before you panic, understand that a creditor cannot garnish your wages just because you are behind on credit card or other unsecured debts!

Before they can apply for a WRIT OF GARNISHMENT, a creditor will:

  • Contact you in writing or by phone in an attempt to collect the debt and/or work out a repayment plan.
  • If the creditor's collections efforts are unsuccessful, they will turn the account over to a collection agency.  This collection agency will also contact you in writing and by phone to collect the debt. In fact, they will most likely call you multiple times a day at all hours.  You do not have to put up with this.  To learn what collectors can and can't do read more about Fair Debt Collection Practices.

Wage Garnishment in Oregon

  • If the collection agency's attempts to collect the debt are unsuccessful, they may decide to retain a local attorney to file a claim.  If they are a ATTORNEY/COLLECTION FIRM, they will file the claim themselves.
  • If this happens, you will receive a SUMMONS and it will basically state that you have 20 or 30 days (States vary as to how long you have) to "ANSWER" the claim.  An "ANSWER" is you response to the claim if you feel that YOU DO NOT OWE THE DEBT CLAIMED IN THE SUMMONS.
  • It usually takes about 45-60 days before a court date is set. NO, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO TO COURT.  This is just a formal hearing to award the judgment to the plaintiff (creditor) by default.  Default meaning that you did not dispute the claim.
  • With the DEFAULT JUDGMENT, the creditor can now apply for a writ of garnishment.

What happens once your creditor is awarded a Writ of Garnishment?

In most cases, an agreement not to pursue wage garnishment can be negotiated (if you act quickly).

A STIPULATED AGREEMENT would state that you will make a payment every month until either the full amount or a slightly reduced amount is repaid.

Depending on your state of residency, there may be an interest rate limit(Oregon is 9%, Washington is 12%).  Be sure to check your state's limit.

As long as you make your payments on time, the creditor will not act on the wage garnishment.

What types of income are exempt from Wage Garnishment?

The following types of income are exempt from wage garnishment:

  • Social Security benefits
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  • Welfare or public assistance
  • Spousal support or child support
  • Public or private pensions
  • Veterans benefits and/or loans
  • Disability proceeds of life insurance policies
  • Cash surrender value of life insurance policies
  • and many others

There are also exemptions and limits as to the calculation final amount of wage garnishment.  We have found that most employers are unaware of these exemptions and limitations, so make sure you know your rights!

In Oregon for example, if you earn below a certain amount, you may be fully exempt from wage garnishment!  Click her to find out more!

Finally, if all of this seems a "little too much for you to handle", we can help. One of our Debt Solutions Specialists can help you decide what is the best next step for you.  Give us a call at 1-877-492-4109 or simply click on the link below for a free debt elimination consultation.

wage garnishment in Oregon

 

 

 

Tags: how to stop a wage garnishment, wage garnishment in oregon, collector, default judgment