A debt collector has been contacting me and my family. I asked them to stop contacting third parties about my debt, but they called back saying they are moving forward with a “bank clean and wage garnishment” for my $7800 debt. I’m not working right now, but my husband is. The only reason we’re in collections is that we can barely afford groceries, let alone credit card payments. Can they actually do this in Pennsylvania, or is this just a scare tactic?
I also want to add that I’m in a full-time accelerated BSN program until December 2025, and we have four kids, from a small baby to a 7-year-old. I’m hoping to get a part-time CNA job soon, ideally working overnight for some extra money.
It would be best to transfer your funds from your name to your husband’s exclusive account. In Pennsylvania, they have the ability to garnish accounts, meaning that if they prevail in court, they will seize any funds that are in any of your accounts.
One of the few states that doesn’t garnish wages unless there is a debt owed to the government is Pennsylvania.
Actually, I’ve heard this before; I appreciate you reminding me of it.
Your bank account is not the same as your wage garnishment. Wage refers to their right to receive a portion of your paycheck before you do. They can undoubtedly seize bank accounts in Pennsylvania.
In order to pay your bills and other expenses while attempting to work out a payment plan with the debt collector, you should have your spouse open a new bank account as soon as possible if the debt is only in your name.
On that one, I’d think they most likely broke a few rules.
Debt collection companies stopped pursuing me. I made it into a game by telling them to screw off. When they call them, my family responds in the same way. Hey, why should I pay my medical bills when the illegals don’t?
If they have a judgment against you, they can garnish your bank account. They must leave you $300, but it might take some time to unfreeze your account and return that $300. They need to locate your account to garnish it. If you used an account for payments, they might have that information. If you move your money to another bank, they won’t have your new account info. Sometimes, they send a small check pretending it’s for something else. When you deposit it, they can get your account information from the processed check. If you haven’t been sued yet, they can’t garnish your account without a judgment. In Pennsylvania, they can never garnish wages. If you do get sued, don’t ignore it though I can’t offer advice on that, as I ignored it myself. Source: I was sued for credit card debt in PA and had my bank account garnished.
I should have received something in the mail about a judgment, right? All I get are notices from the collection agency. The account I used to pay the credit card was my personal checking account, which usually has little money in it unless I transfer funds from our savings for purchases like groceries. If the account only has a few dollars in it, it should be okay for now, right? I’m so upset. We worked so hard to get out of credit card debt years ago and were making payments on time, but then I lost my job and my husband changed jobs. Now, we’re making $4,000 less a month.