garnishing wages for an unpaid credit card bill in pennsylvania

cabo587 · #1 Oct 31, 2009, 09:43 AM

Does anyone know how to help me? I have an unpaid credit card bill and I just received a call from a collection agency and they threatened me and told me they were going to garnish our wages if I didn't let them take 3 payments of 460.69 right away out of our checking account. Well, I did and now my account will be overdrawn. I called my bank to stop payment. I need to know if it is legal to garnish our wages before there was a judgement ever made. I was told by someone that you have to have a court order before they can call and threaten you.

s_cianci · Oct 31, 2009, 01:14 PM

Wages cannot be garnished without a judgment. They might threaten you all they want but unless they actually sue you and get that judgment, they cannot garnish your wages. In the future, if they call you instruct them not to, that they are to only communicate with you in writing. They're not as likely to try and bully you in writing as they might over the phone. Also insist that they provide you with written verification of this debt, even if you know that you legitimately owe it. Keep in mind that if they pursue legal action against you the burden of proof is on them, not you.



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