Wife just received a letter to have her wages garnished. Help?

[quincy]

So let me ask this, so we say the wages will get garnished and that stays with our credit for 7 years unless paid off got it. Is it worth attempting to talk to the other party to arrange payments or will that not mater at this point for my credit?

Last, if they say no and i decide to focus on the next item that could go into an order should I focus on that? I am just throwing out the other possible ways my brain is thinking of. I really don't want a BT on my record but it seems that duration matches that of the order. My end goal of career which I am working on is police officer which credit becomes a factor.


Thank you everyone for the continued advice.

Even when the judgment or debts are paid off, they remain on your credit reports for 7 years (or so). They just show as paid.

One of the links I provided (can't remember which one) has information on negotiating with creditors but, quite frankly, the creditor with the judgment is already getting regular payments through the wage garnishment and is unlikely to give this up on any promise to make payments - unless the amount paid is the full amount owing on the judgment.

As to the other creditors - those who have not yet sued you or your wife - you can work with them to see if you can negotiate a lower and more affordable monthly payment to hopefully stave off another lawsuit and judgment. If you have any disposable assets you can sell or any way to earn extra money for awhile (perhaps a second job), this can be a way to get your debts under control without the need to file for bankruptcy.

Any time you have a delinquent debt and/or a judgment against you, though, it shows up on your credit reports and messes with your credit.

 

[streetrider399]

One last thing to add, the court document we got today is requesting us to fill it out for the garnishment. Does anyone think an exemption would help?

 

[quincy]

One last thing to add, the court document we got today is requesting us to fill it out for the garnishment. Does anyone think an exemption would help?

If some of the wages are exempt from garnishment then, yes. If not, then no.

Again, please read through the information from the links provided earlier. They tell you a lot.

Good luck.

 

[streetrider399]

If some of the wages are exempt from garnishment then, yes. If not, then no.

Again, please read through the information from the links provided earlier. They tell you a lot.

Good luck.

I will, thank you all very much for the information. You have been a ton of help.

 

[streetrider399]

Even when the judgment or debts are paid off, they remain on your credit reports for 7 years (or so). They just show as paid.

One of the links I provided (can't remember which one) has information on negotiating with creditors but, quite frankly, the creditor with the judgment is already getting regular payments through the wage garnishment and is unlikely to give this up on any promise to make payments - unless the amount paid is the full amount owing on the judgment.

As to the other creditors - those who have not yet sued you or your wife - you can work with them to see if you can negotiate a lower and more affordable monthly payment to hopefully stave off another lawsuit and judgment. If you have any disposable assets you can sell or any way to earn extra money for awhile (perhaps a second job), this can be a way to get your debts under control without the need to file for bankruptcy.

Any time you have a delinquent debt and/or a judgment against you, though, it shows up on your credit reports and messes with your credit.

Thank you very much for all your help.

 

[quincy]

Thank you very much for all your help.

It has been a group effort.

Here again is the link provided earlier that might be the most help to you right now, on "Paying the Judgment," as it discusses exemptions: http://www.courts.ca.gov/1327.htm

We all appreciate the thanks, streetrider399, and we all wish you and your wife good luck.

 

[eerelations]

This thread was so hard to read. There is absolutely no one in Canada (or Mexico or Costa Rica or Cuba or Nicaragua or England or Ireland or Scotland or Wales or Sweden or Denmark or Norway or Germany or France or Spain or Austria or Poland or Croatia or Australia or New Zealand or Tasmania or South Africa or a whole bunch of other places) who would have to go through this experience. Just sayin'

 

[quincy]

This thread was so hard to read. There is absolutely no one in Canada (or Mexico or Costa Rica or Cuba or Nicaragua or England or Ireland or Scotland or Wales or Sweden or Denmark or Norway or Germany or France or Spain or Austria or Poland or Croatia or Australia or New Zealand or Tasmania or South Africa or a whole bunch of other places) who would have to go through this experience. Just sayin'

I remember reading (can't remember where or when) that many (if not most) bankruptcies filed in the US are medical-debt related.

I tend to have little sympathy for those whose debts result from credit card purchases of unnecessary consumer "luxury" items but debt arising from necessary medical treatment ... no one should be forced into bankruptcy for having medical needs.

 

[Rwedunyet]

I remember reading (can't remember where or when) that many (if not most) bankruptcies filed in the US are medical-debt related.

I tend to have little sympathy for those whose debts result from credit card purchases of unnecessary consumer "luxury" items but debt arising from necessary medical treatment ... no one should be forced into bankruptcy for having medical needs.

I wish I could like that more than once. We had to file bankruptcy due to medical debt (55k) a while back. It was rough. We had no money, bill collectors calling daily, and the lawyer wanted 500$ upfront (did I mention we had NO money?). We ended up getting further behind and doing without some groceries to pay for the lawyer.

OP, if that is what it takes, then do it. Eat beanie weanies for a month if you need to. Just don't try to do this without a lawyer. In the end, I was extremely glad that we had our lawyer. After everything was a "done deal", we had a collector that continued to call and got VERY ugly with me. They made the mistake of sending me a letter in the mail demanding payment AFTER they had been properly notified. We simply provided that letter to our lawyer, and he took care of business.

In a matter of weeks, everything was all nice and tidy, our budget balanced and we even kept both of our cars (of course, we continued to make the payments).

I'm so sorry that you are having to deal with this! I remember how awful it felt to not be able to pay my medical bills.

 

[quincy]

The medical debt/bankruptcy information I vaguely remembered, and mentioned earlier, was from a NerdWallet Health study done in 2013. The study found that medical debt was the largest cause of personal bankruptcy.

Following is a link to an October 2014 article from NerdWallet, written by Christina LaMontagne, which has additional information and a link to the study.

"NerdWallet Health Study: Medical Debt Crisis Worsening Despite Policy Advances:"

http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/health/managing-medical-bills/medical-bills-debt-crisis/

 

[streetrider399]

I am trying to find an attorney that will look at my case but I am having zero luck... I also received a notice of a lien on my house... this just keeps getting better.

 

[quincy]

I am trying to find an attorney that will look at my case but I am having zero luck... I also received a notice of a lien on my house... this just keeps getting better.

I am sorry to hear about the lien on your home. It should only make a difference to you when you are looking to sell the house, though.

Have you called several attorneys already, including bankruptcy attorneys? Setting up appointments for a free consultation can help - even if all the attorneys you meet with do is to point you in the direction of others who might be able to help.

Here from the Superior Court of California, Orange County, is a link to ways the judgment creditor can collect on the amount awarded, the link provided so that you are not too surprised by what can happen: http://www.occourts.org/self-help/civil/howtocollectthejudgment.html