Garnishing Wages – Debt Collection in Pennsylvania
by David B. Ross (Ross & Ross, LLC)
Abusive Debt Collection from the perspective of a Pennsylvania Bankruptcy and Consumer Attorney
Here’s the scenario. You finally get home after a long day at work. You’ve just sat down to eat a quick bite and the phone rings. Right in the middle of dinner. You answer because maybe it’s a friend who needs something or a family member you have been trying to reach. Instead it is an automated call that asks you to hold. So, you hold. You don’t know why you do, you just do.
After a few minutes, someone gets on the line and asks you to identify yourself. You do. You don’t know why you do, you just do. The voice then identifies himself as a debt collector. He starts out nice enough, asking when you are going to pay the debt and offering to help you take care of it right now. You can just give him your checking account number or send him some post-dated checks. He’ll even take a credit card. Eventually he becomes belligerent and threatening. He tells you he is going to garnish your wages. He is going to … well they usually make all kinds of threats.
Unfortunately, the above scenario is all too common, and it is illegal. In Pennsylvania you cannot garnish wages to collect a debt even after obtaining a judgment against you. The harassment and the false information violate the Federal Debt Collection Practices Act. The Act actually provides that you can sue the collector for his illegal acts and recover up to $1,000.00 plus attorney’s fees.
You can visit our web site and contact us for more information about dealing with creditors and debt relief. As always since federal law requires a disclosure from bankruptcy attorneys here it is “we are a debt relief agency that helps people get relief by filing for bankruptcy under the bankruptcy code.”
From offices in Coudersport, Potter County, Pennsylvania, the attorneys at Ross and Ross, LLC serve the personal injury, bankruptcy, social security disability, divorce and family law needs of Western, Northwestern, Central and North Central Pennsylvania including the communities of Coudersport, Galeton, Shinglehouse, West Branch, Smethport, Port Allegany, Bradford, Roulette, and Wellsboro, as well as Potter County, McKean County, Tioga County, Cameron County, Bradford County and other areas of Western PA and Central PA.
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