How Much Can a Debt Collector Garnish in Massachusetts – Jeff
Child care worker - live pay check to paycheck
I live in MA. I owe 9,000 to a debt collector - already lost in court -- they want to garnish my wages , but it's to high a debt to be paid off in a 4 week period . How much off each check will the court allow them to take off ? I get paid every 2 weeks .
—Jeff
The debt collector is limited by Massachusetts garnishment laws. The court would allow up to 15% of your gross pay to be garnished from each paycheck.
Your comment about the amount of the judgment being collected being too high to pay off in 4 weeks is curious. What did you mean by that?
Do you have alternatives to access a lump sum to offer as a settlement in full? Settling can often be a viable alternative at this point.
Who was the debt originally owed to? Was it the creditor who sued, or a debt buyer? Who is the attorney collection firm doing the collecting?
I could provide more feedback if you answer my questions in a comment reply below.
About Michael BoveeMichael started CRN in 2004 with a mission to provide people in need with detailed debt and credit help and education. Michael has participated as an expert panelist in federal consumer protection rule making, collaborated on state law changes governing debt consolidation, has worked as an expert witness in court matters related to the debt relief industry, and is a regular contributor to several personal finance websites.
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