Stay home mom in trouble!!

[maryjokate]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Alabama

I'm a stay home mom for 3 years with 2 small children. I wracked up credit card bills so I wouldn't have to put them in daycare. Anyway, it snowballed and now I have been served with a garnishment of wages... I'm unemployed but do have a joint checking account with my husband. Can they garnish his wages? And if not, will they be able to foreclose on the house? I owe $9000 to this one credit card company. THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANY ADVICE!!!!!

How much do you owe?

How much does your husband make?

How much does your husband know?

[ihatearizona]

Originally Posted by maryjokate

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Alabama

I'm a stay home mom for 3 years with 2 small children. I wracked up credit card bills so I wouldn't have to put them in daycare. Anyway, it snowballed and now I have been served with a garnishment of wages... I'm unemployed but do have a joint checking account with my husband. Can they garnish his wages? And if not, will they be able to foreclose on the house? I owe $9000 to this one credit card company. THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANY ADVICE!!!!!

1. Close the joint account ASAP! Have your husband open his own account.
2. They cannot garnish his wages if he wasn't listed on the credit card. Was it a joint account?
3. You are afforded certian exemptions from seizure of personal property. A lot would have to do with how much equity you have. Is the house in both of your names?
4. When did you last pay the original creditor?

[JETX]

Originally Posted by maryjokate

I'm a stay home mom for 3 years with 2 small children. I wracked up credit card bills so I wouldn't have to put them in daycare.

Curious.... why do you think your ability to have babies is somehow an excuse to not pay your bills???

Anyway, it snowballed and now I have been served with a garnishment of wages.

And in order to have been served with garnishment, the creditor(s) sued you and got a judgment against you. Did you just 'happen' to overlook that FACT??

I'm unemployed but do have a joint checking account with my husband.

ANY non-exempt assets you have, including that account, are subject to seizure by the judgment creditor.

Can they garnish his wages?

Regretably, no.

And if not, will they be able to foreclose on the house?

Good news!! Yes.
In your state, the law only exempts 'Real property or mobile home up to $5,000; husband and wife may double.' Anything you have over that amount.... can be grabbed.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANY ADVICE!!!!!

The best advice your are going to get is.... get a job. Pay your bills. Don't spend more than you have.

[maryjokate]

Originally Posted by ihatearizona

1. Close the joint account ASAP! Have your husband open his own account.
2. They cannot garnish his wages if he wasn't listed on the credit card. Was it a joint account?
3. You are afforded certian exemptions from seizure of personal property. A lot would have to do with how much equity you have. Is the house in both of your names?
4. When did you last pay the original creditor?

We have done #1. The credit card was not a joint account, my name only. We have virtually no equity left in the house - used last year in a refinance. The house is in both our names. We last paid the creditor a year ago. I was up to date on all payments when we decided to "consolidate" the cards. We paid this consolidation company monthly, but by the time we found out they weren't paying the credit card company, the company was closed down by the government and the credit card company had already turned our account over to an attorney. The law firm would not negotiate on paying monthly payments - they wanted it settled. This all happened within 2 months time!
Thanks for your input!!!

[maryjokate]

Originally Posted by seniorjudge

How much do you owe?

How much does your husband make?

How much does your husband know?

I owe $8700. My husband now makes $48600 a year, which is less than years past due to cutbacks, etc. He knows absolutely everything!

Thanks for your input!

[maryjokate]

Originally Posted by JETX

Curious.... why do you think your ability to have babies is somehow an excuse to not pay your bills???


And in order to have been served with garnishment, the creditor(s) sued you and got a judgment against you. Did you just 'happen' to overlook that FACT??


ANY non-exempt assets you have, including that account, are subject to seizure by the judgment creditor.


Regretably, no.


Good news!! Yes.
In your state, the law only exempts 'Real property or mobile home up to $5,000; husband and wife may double.' Anything you have over that amount.... can be grabbed.


The best advice your are going to get is.... get a job. Pay your bills. Don't spend more than you have.

You know what, I didn't feel compelled to write down the entire story of how all this happened within a two month period due to family medical situations, cutbacks in my husbands job, me staying home with my mother with Alzheimers because there is no one locally who will care for her - therefore, preventing me from working. All of this because we wanted to consolidate our bills and the company we went with was closed by the government. Meanwhile, the credit card company had already turned the case over to an attorney before we had even realized what had happened. I didn't feel compelled to explain all of this, because I just asked for advice - not a guilt party! I'm sure your finances are all in line and I think that's great - I felt the same way about our finances just a few months ago!! I totally think people should be held accountable, but I can't even imagine having the mentality of wanting someone's house to be foreclosed - how sad!!!!!

Originally Posted by maryjokate

I owe $8700. My husband now makes $48600 a year, which is less than years past due to cutbacks, etc. He knows absolutely everything!

Thanks for your input!

Keep trying to negotiate...money works wonders. They would rather have money than take you to court.

[JETX]

Originally Posted by maryjokate

I wracked up credit card bills so I wouldn't have to put them in daycare.

Pretty much says it all, doesn't it???

[JessD]

Not passing judgement here since my credit is pretty crappy also from college days. Not making excuses...just stating facts! I just wanted to say that I am also a stay-at-home mom with three children. My husband makes about $25000 a year. We just have a budget and stick to it. My husband has immaculate credit by the way. We have been working on my credit to get it where it should be. I have heard that having a "consolidation organization" pay your bills isn't very good for your credit either. Is that true?

Originally Posted by JessD

Not passing judgement here since my credit is pretty crappy also from college days. Not making excuses...just stating facts! I just wanted to say that I am also a stay-at-home mom with three children. My husband makes about $25000 a year. We just have a budget and stick to it. My husband has immaculate credit by the way. We have been working on my credit to get it where it should be. I have heard that having a "consolidation organization" pay your bills isn't very good for your credit either. Is that true?

Some of those places are better than others; I couldn't tell you, though, who is better and who is worse...I don't spend more than I make...In fact, I spend a lot less!

My ethnic background is Sephardic Jew, West Scot, and Errant Lutheran so I am pretty thrifty.

[JETX]

Originally Posted by seniorjudge

My ethnic background is Sephardic Jew, West Scot, and Errant Lutheran so I am pretty thrifty.

Boy, does that explain a lot!!!
Oy Vey, Laddie!!