I just found out I cannot garnish someone's wages in SC for damage to rental property. Cost of repairs will exceed $4000. What do I do? I did not realize each state had different laws regarding garnishments.

You are going to have to sue him, maybe in small claims. What was the difference between the secuirty deposit and the total damage? Take pictures, save all receipts and repair bills and head for court. Your can do small claims yourself without a lawyer.

Hello l:

If you can't garnish wages, you can still cause him some trouble (and maybe get some cash), by getting a judgment and levying against his bank accounts and other property. If you're tenacious, you can keep him at a subsistence level until he pays.

Of course, if he has no credit rating and no assets it won't bother him.

Which brings to mind my following question: If he's a bum, why did you rent to him? Surely a little homework would have revealed his character. People don't just START doing this stuff.

excon

If he has bank accounts and money, it is possible you can attach the money he has in the bank, if he has money in the bank, and if you keep tracking him, every time he opens a new checking account you get it.
But it will take money and a lot of time to keep this up.

As noted often you just end up writing it off as businsess expense. If you rent to people with no money, bad credit basically you lose your money when they do damage