Collecting a Judgement

[PixelRogue]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania PA

Landlord / Tenant: Pennsylvania

Residential Lease Judgement for possession and back rent granted for 6k.
Five weeks later, Judge signs the judgement area labeled "I certify that this is true and correct copy of the record of the proceeding containing the judgement." Notice of Judgement filed in the country court house. Efforts to communicate with former tenants fail, and three months have passed with no payments or communication. My options are, as I understand them:
1) garnish wages.
2) levy bank account.
3) lean on property.
4) ignore / do nothing.


Here are my questions:

Garnish Wages
Judgement reads "Wage attachment is prohibited due to lack of personal service", and similar statement for Title 42 Section 8127.
Next to both statements reads "No." My understanding is wage garnishment for broken residential lease is allowed in PA (which is also how I'm understanding those two statements above).
a) Is this correct?
b) Do I need additional court documents/hearings to proceed?
c) Will a letter containing copy of the judgement to the employer be enough?

Bank Lean
My understanding is a letter to the bank w/proof of judgement is all that is needed for the bank to apply the lean to the account and furnish available funds.
a) Is this correct?
b) In looking back, the account was new and quite possible this account has since been closed. I have social security numbers of both tenants ~ will the bank/s work with SS#s to support the effort?

Property Lean
My understanding is that once the document is filed with the county court, the judgement is applied to their credit history (impacts fico score) and a lean is applied to the house at which point a sale or refinance will force the payment at closing.
a) Is my understanding correct
b) anything else need to be done?​

And the big question ~ are these all steps I can take as a landlord and not require hiring a lawyer or a collections company?

Thank you everyone... I really enjoy this forum.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

Wage garnishment in Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania (PA) Garnishment Law

Check with the Clerk of Court Office regarding filing for both wage garnishment and bank garnishment. In my neck of the woods, this office will start the ball rolling regarding bank garnishment but I had to supply ALL the information (bank name, account number, name of the person holding the account). Certain funds (social security, for example) are exempt from bank garnishment.

Gail

 

[PixelRogue]

Thank you...

Yes...I had come across that site in the research.

"An employee's wages, salaries and commissions may be taken from an employer through appropriate legal procedures to satisfy these kinds of debts:"

What are the 'appropriate legal procedures?'

Once the judgement is official, been filed with country court, and enough time has passed to cure ~ it would appear I contact the banks and employer with proof of judgement. I have letters written and ready to be delivered.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

Again, contact the Clerk of Court office (where the initial filing for the eviction/or judgement was done) to determine if the filing for wage or bank garnishment needs to go through them.

Gail

 

[PixelRogue]

Just did

there is, indeed, a process and requires a lot of steps. I've already started and we'll see how it goes. Thank you.