primitives discuss wage garnishment

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6606904

Oh my.

Myrina  (1000+ posts)      Tue Sep-22-09 03:55 PM
Original message
 
Anybody ever had their pay garnished?

I am currently in heated discussions with NCO, the collections agency for the Dept of Ed on my student loans.

They want me to make monthly payments of $500 or cough up the total due ($62k), or they’re going to send me to garnishment.

How I got here is a long story, but suffice it to say that I cannot spare $500/mo.

I was reading the Dept of Ed’s website and they state that garnishment for Student Loans maxes at 15% of disposable income (defined as gross pay – all taxes), and that when served with a garnishment notice, the debtor can claim financial hardship and request a hearing to have that % lowered.

Ok, that sounds tolerable.

What I am wondering, is if there are other problems (aside from the stigma) that one experiences from being garnished? NCO has led me to believe I will be garnished for the rest of my life, wherever I go, tax refunds intercepted, and basically I will rue the day.

I am in a home and have a decent vehicle so am not looking to buy either anytime in the next 10 years: “credit power” isn’t a concern to me.

I know they have quotas to close out accounts and take in as much money as possible, so is she just trying to shake my cage with all the doom and gloom, or is this really not something I want to deal with?

Oh dear.

TwilightGardener  (1000+ posts)      Tue Sep-22-09 03:58 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. You have a house and a car, but can't repay your student loans?

You couldn't arrange lower payments, or a hardship deferment, something like that?

noiretextatique  (1000+ posts)      Tue Sep-22-09 03:59 PM
Response to Reply #1
 
4. they are really difficult to deal with, from my experience and not very willing to negotiate.

TwilightGardener  (1000+ posts)      Tue Sep-22-09 04:01 PM
Response to Reply #4
 
7. Not in my or my husband's experiences. We've had them deferred a couple times in the past for hardship reasons. We also combined them and refinanced for lower payments. I thought they were the most reasonable creditors I ever dealt with, in fact.

lib2DaBone  (1000+ posts)      Tue Sep-22-09 08:24 PM
Response to Reply #7
 
41. Well La Ti ****in Da.. I guess you are special...

Myrina  (1000+ posts)      Tue Sep-22-09 04:17 PM
Response to Reply #1
 
22. Nice tone, thanks ....

In Feb, I lost the job that allowed me to afford the house in the first place (an FHA loan a few years ago for a house that was already repo'd & priced lower than market - not a new McMansion) and the car (a 5 speed Toyota compact in 2006 - we're talking $9999 NEW, not a Mazerati, ok?).

Recalc'd my mortgage with CITI and got a job in June that pays $6k/yr less than I was making ... so, no I don't have $500 a month to spare and the collections agency for the Dept of Ed will not budge under $500/mo, nor will they even go so far as to assure me that if I send in $250/mo in godd faith, they won't send me to garnishment anyway.

TwilightGardener  (1000+ posts)      Wed Sep-23-09 01:10 PM
Response to Reply #22
 
46. You've already cut out cell phone or landline service, cable, internet, entertainment and hobbies, I presume? You're already working a second job on evenings and weekends, or picking up overtime or extra shifts, I presume? Because a $500 a month shortfall is not that hard to overcome. My husband and I had three jobs between us through the first 6 or 7 years of our marriage, working at places like Pizza Hut and overnight wiping butts in nursing homes, to make ends meet--didn't miss any payments that whole time.

liberalhistorian (1000+ posts)        Wed Sep-23-09 01:31 PM
Response to Reply #46
 
50. Well, aren't you just too precious for words?

Just because it works for you doesn't mean it'll work for others. $500 a month may be a helluva lot harder for some than for others. And people shouldn't have to give up their lives just to increase the bottom line of greedy collectors.

By the way, folks, in real life Lisa's moving to within walking distance of franksolich.

I have no idea what to make of it.

TwilightGardener  (1000+ posts)      Wed Sep-23-09 01:33 PM
Response to Reply #50
 
51. LOL! YOU'RE the one who's precious! "Give up their lives" for "greedy collectors"? In other words, those DAMN UNREASONABLE ASSHOLES who keep expecting you to pay back what you owe? You shouldn't have to pay back your debt obligations if it means slinging burgers at night, or giving up HBO, I guess. Too funny.

Doremus  (1000+ posts)      Wed Sep-23-09 01:44 PM
Response to Reply #50
 
54. Yes, ESPECIALLY considering that the $$$ they lend us is our OWN tax dollars anyway

Pretty fricking amazing.

Myrina  (1000+ posts)      Wed Sep-23-09 02:18 PM
Response to Reply #46
 
58. Well isn't it lovely to be you?

TwilightGardener  (1000+ posts)      Wed Sep-23-09 02:43 PM
Response to Reply #61
 
62. Yep, you caught me--second jobs and cutting household budgets and doggedly making payments certainly can't be the province of Democrats.

By the way, if I recall correctly, the twilight primitive is a Nebraska primitive, from the southeastern corner of the state.

SeattleGirl  (1000+ posts)        Wed Sep-23-09 03:06 PM
Response to Reply #62
 
65. It's not the fact that you paid off your loans the way you did.,

It's great that you did that.

It's your holier-than-thou, I'm-better-than-you attitude that sucks.

Democrats are the people who realize that each situation is different, and one size does NOT fit all.

Try a little understanding; it goes a long way.

The Die alte Sau, the dysmenopausal Kansas school teacher:

proud2BlibKansan  (1000+ posts)        Wed Sep-23-09 03:15 PM
Response to Reply #46
 
69. I take it you don't know that the money being loaned out is our tax $$$

I find it reprehensible that the Dept of Ed hires collectors who are this unreasonable. 

The Nebraska primitive keeps digging her own grave:

TwilightGardener  (1000+ posts)      Wed Sep-23-09 03:19 PM
Response to Reply #69
 
70. What difference does it make where it comes from? You borrow, you pay back.

It's no different than any other debt obligation. And again, I've been in this person's shoes, we received two forbearances/deferments from the federal student loan program--once when I had my first baby and had to cut my work hours, and again when my husband was deployed for a year and we didn't have his extra moonlighting paycheck. We didn't stop making payments, but we called them and arranged it--they were very reasonable.

noiretextatique  (1000+ posts)      Tue Sep-22-09 03:59 PM
Response to Original message
 
3. i am in the same boat

student loan assholes were not willing to negotiate a lower rate, so i let them garnish me. 15% of my take-home pay is a lot less than what they wanted me to pay. there shouldn't be any problems. as an accountant, it doesn't look good for me to garnished, but i explained the situation to my boss, and it's fine. your employer cannot do anything to you because of a garnishment.

It's an enormous bonfire, many primitives appearing to have had some, uh, experience in this sort of thing.

The defrocked warped primitive who, unlike the twilight primitive, the Nebraska primitive, never learned it's not kosher for a nurse to take pharmaceuticals prescribed for a patient:

Warpy  (1000+ posts)        Tue Sep-22-09 04:12 PM
Response to Original message
 
17. Well, it saves you the trouble of writing a check every month but there is a certain stigma attached to it. In addition, it will be completely inflexible in that the money is taken off the top, whether or not you're having a financial crisis at the time. They won't care.

In other words, you can't stall them for a month when the transmission dies or you need a root canal.

However, if you can get a better rate due to pleading financial hardship over that $500/month, it might be worth it in terms of saving you the aggravation of having them on your backs. The money vanishes before you ever get to touch it and they have no reason to contact you again.

The buzzy one, a non-primitive on Skins's island, tries to make a funny, and flops:

Buzz Clik  (1000+ posts)      Tue Sep-22-09 04:19 PM
Response to Original message
 
24. Have I ever had my gay varnished? What's that supposed to mean?

Um... what? Wait....

Nevermind.

The mountain man primitive who, like all men, nightly pitches his tent one day's march closer to the mausoleum:

ThomWV  (1000+ posts)      Tue Sep-22-09 05:30 PM
Response to Original message
 
33. I had it happen once, they got part of my check, but that was all

Now the IRS, that's a different story. When they swoop down on you they lock up everything. Assholes too.

franksolich has never had problems with the Internal Revenue Service.

One wonders what's up with that.

[Rebel]

liberalhistorian (1000+ posts)        Wed Sep-23-09 01:31 PM
Response to Reply #46
 
50. Well, aren't you just too precious for words?

Just because it works for you doesn't mean it'll work for others. $500 a month may be a helluva lot harder for some than for others. And people shouldn't have to give up their lives just to increase the bottom line of greedy collectors.

...and what about the people that work for the company that get paid by those incoming bills, you f'n psycho? Because this bitch isn't living up to her obligation and contract they can f*** off and starve?

[USA4ME]

liberalhistorian
 
Well, aren't you just too precious for words?

Just because it works for you doesn't mean it'll work for others. $500 a month may be a helluva lot harder for some than for others. And people shouldn't have to give up their lives just to increase the bottom line of greedy collectors.

You mean the greedy collectors that she's owes money to and agreed to repay on a schedule?

If the Myrina primitive wasn't going to make sure she could repay on time, she shouldn't have taken the loan.  Asking for $500/mo is a result of either having neglected paying on time or not paying the full amount.

The primitives are very selfish.

.

[LC EFA]

Myrina  (1000+ posts)      Tue Sep-22-09 03:55 PM
Original message
 
Anybody ever had their pay garnished?
...

Income tax does a great job of garnishing my "pay" every year.

[IassaFTots]

I dunno.   Looks like the Twilight person isn't acting too much like a dummie.  Odd. 

[ScubaGuy]

Income tax does a great job of garnishing my "pay" every year.

I was just going to say that.  I get mine garnished to the tune of a few thousand a month.

[BEG]

I dunno.   Looks like the Twilight person isn't acting too much like a dummie.  Odd. 

Yeah she/he is acting too much like one of us.  Mole perhaps? 

It took us 10 years to pay back my husband's student loans.  We had two deferments.  The first one was because my husband's first job out of college laid him off (and we had just bought a house).  The second one was when I had UVeitis the first time (I had just had a baby too and I was sick for months.  We lived in Lake Havasu City and when I had to go to the doctor or was too sick to care for our new born baby my husband had to take off work.  He worked for a boat builder designing boats but the owner was totally old school, if you didn't work you didn't get paid.  No vacation...no nothing.  I wonder if a lib would even take a job were you got no vacation and you had to be at work at 6:30 am every morning.     My husband loved that job.

[IassaFTots]

Actually, that sounds like a cool job.  If I had a job I liked more, like that, maybe I wouldn't like my vacation time so much? 

Heh.  After 9/11 when I was laid off, I cleaned houses for a living.  I don't care what I ever have to do again, but I sure as heck don't want to do that.

[Splashdown]

noiretextatique  (1000+ posts)      Tue Sep-22-09 03:59 PM
Response to Reply #1
 
4. they are really difficult to deal with, from my experience and not very willing to negotiate.

A lie.

They were happy to work with me.

I was stupid and selfish. I defaulted. I was stupider. I avoided the bill. I got smarter. I called the Dept. of Education. They asked for a year of steady payments. I went back to Sallie Mae after that, paid it off, and brought my credit rating back from over the brink.

[JohnnyReb]

I once paid a $1 in income tax...ergo and therefore this country owes me a living. ....and a damn good one at that.... [DUmmie/mode/off...off...off...dammit where's the switch on this mode of thinking?

[Carl]

Perfect example of Dummy behaviour.

Claim to be wanting to better society in words but taking and then running away from it in deeds.

[GOBUCKS]

noiretextatique  (1000+ posts)      Tue Sep-22-09 03:59 PM
3. i am in the same boat

student loan assholes were not willing to negotiate a lower rate, so i let them garnish me. 

your employer cannot do anything to you because of a garnishment.

This is a typical DUmmy approach to responsibililty and work.

If the law won't allow your employer to fire your worthless ass, then everything is fine.

But wait, your employer will be more than willing to find another reason to lay you off.

He will never have confidence to give you more responsibility.

You will never make more money, unless you're covered by a contract for union leeches.

A history of garnishment will prevent you from being hired at another job.

It will ruin your credit history.

But in the DUmmy mind none of that matters.

[BEG]

This is a typical DUmmy approach to responsibililty and work.

If the law won't allow your employer to fire your worthless ass, then everything is fine.

But wait, your employer will be more than willing to find another reason to lay you off.

He will never have confidence to give you more responsibility.

You will never make more money, unless you're covered by a contract for union leeches.

A history of garnishment will prevent you from being hired at another job.

It will ruin your credit history.

But in the DUmmy mind none of that matters.

I bet the next time we hear from this DUmmy he will be bitching that he can't get a job because his new potential employers check his credit rating. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

I'm betting "The rest of the story" is that the dipshit stiffed the lender for about two years before things got to this point.

[jukin]

$62K seems like quite a bit.  Now I knew people going to college that took out the loans and had a great old time with the money.  Then the four year loan was gone in less than two and they would re up.  One of these people then later complained how the student loan took all of her first year income tax refund which she was depending on to go on vacation. 

[The Village Idiot]

$62K seems like quite a bit.  Now I knew people going to college that took out the loans and had a great old time with the money.  Then the four year loan was gone in less than two and they would re up.  One of these people then later complained how the student loan took all of her first year income tax refund which she was depending on to go on vacation. 

Online classes. Loans are by Semester. It's like they think we will all drop out.

[AllosaursRus]

62K has to be with interest and penalties. I'll lay odds the DUmmie never paid a dime on his loan! He then disapeared thinking he couldn't be found. It took them a few years to find him as they rarely look at every delinquency on a yearly basis. Hence the reason they are not likely to make a deal at all. He tried to stiff 'em!

[Chris_]

Gee, that BS in Advanced Basket Weaving wasn't profitable.

[diesel driver]

One of these people then later complained how the student loan took all of her first year income tax refund which she was depending on to go on vacation. 

You PLAY, you PAY!

You no PAY, YOU NO PLAY!

It's that simple....

[BlueStateSaint]

My wife has been religiously paying off her student loans she accumulated when she got her master's.  Don't know how far she's gotten, but it's a long way.  I backfill the bills that absolutely need to be paid that month--which is all of them.  We're doing what we can.  With The Heiress, there's some things we have to do without that, in the analysis, we really don't have to have, and we still are doing better than a whole bunch of people.

DUmb****s, it ain't hard to do.  Just be willing to do without that extra bag of Cheetos or pot (or both).

[NHSparky]

I think I racked up a whopping $2500 in student loans while I was getting my degree, and that was while I was at GT.  When I went back on active duty, I used the deferrment for about a year, then when I got to my first boat, paid the damn thing off in like six months.

Think about that, DUmmies.  E-4 paying off a loan and still having enough for car payment and beer, especially on what we made back in 1988.