Help

[Brat0513]

In 2010 I left my apartment in Va in the middle of the lease. Now they are about to garnish my paycheck. I live in pa and work in nj. I cannot afford to have them garnish my pay check. I did contact a lawyer a year ago about the situation and he said there is nothing that can be done. Should I contact there lawyer or should I go through the courts and claim exemptions.

 

[quincy]

In 2010 I left my apartment in Va in the middle of the lease. Now they are about to garnish my paycheck. I live in pa and work in nj. I cannot afford to have them garnish my pay check. I did contact a lawyer a year ago about the situation and he said there is nothing that can be done. Should I contact there lawyer or should I go through the courts and claim exemptions.

What exemptions do you have to claim?

 

[Brat0513]

What exemptions do you have to claim?

Dependent is my only exemptions.

 

[Eekamouse]

Dependent is my only exemptions.

I think you are confusing your taxes with your court case. Two totally different animals.

 

[quincy]

... I cannot afford to have them garnish my pay check. I did contact a lawyer a year ago about the situation and he said there is nothing that can be done. ...

You have been ignoring the judgment against you for a year? Paying the landlord what you owed on the lease before it reached the judgment and garnishment of wages stage would have been smart.

It would be the rare person who can "afford" to have their wages garnished. The bad news for you is that being a dependent on its own is not a legitimate exemption to claim. The good news is that all of your wages cannot be garnished to satisfy your debt - only a percentage of your wages - and your employer cannot fire you because of the wage garnishment.

Here are links to show you how garnishment of wages are handled in each of the states involved (your state of Pennsylvania where I assume the judgment was entered, the state where the landlord lives, Virginia, and the state where your employer is located, New Jersey).

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/new-jersey-wage-garnishment-laws.html
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/pennsylvania-wage-garnishment-law.html
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/virginia-wage-garnishment-law.html

Once your debt is satisfied, the wage garnishment will stop.