Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Georgia

Yes, and you should expect that to happen.

Sure - for obvious reasons there is no "warning."

According to the statutes, you have to be given notice of the garnishment served on your employer. See OCGA � 18-4-64 Service of copy of summons of garnishment upon defendant; notice of filing and issuance of summons of garnishment; time for distribution

(a) In a garnishment based on a judgment, the defendant shall be given notice of the filing of the first summons of garnishment on an affidavit for garnishment and of the issuance of an additional summons of garnishment on such affidavit when no notice has been given to the defendant within 90 days immediately preceding the issuance of such additional summons, using any one or more of the following methods:

(1) The plaintiff, at the time the garnishment is filed with the clerk, shall commence procedures to effectuate the service of a copy of the summons of garnishment on the defendant; and service thereafter shall be made on the defendant as soon as is reasonably practicable. Service pursuant to this paragraph shall be made pursuant to Code Section 9-11-4;

(2) The plaintiff, after issuance of the summons of garnishment and not more than three business days after service of the summons of garnishment on the garnishee, shall cause a written notice to be sent to the defendant at the defendant's last known address by registered or certified mail or statutory overnight delivery, return receipt requested. Either the return receipt indicating receipt by the defendant or the envelope bearing the official notification from the United States Postal Service of the defendant's refusal to accept delivery of such registered or certified mail or statutory overnight delivery shall be filed with the clerk of the court in which the garnishment is pending. The defendant's refusal to accept such registered or certified mail or statutory overnight delivery addressed to defendant shall be deemed notice to defendant;

(3) The plaintiff, after the issuance of the summons of garnishment and not more than three business days after service of the summons of garnishment on the garnishee, shall cause a written notice to be delivered personally to the defendant by the plaintiff or by the plaintiff's attorney at law or other agent. A certification by the person making the delivery shall be filed with the clerk;

(4)(A) When the defendant resides out of the state, has departed the state, cannot, after due diligence, be found within the state, or conceals his place of residence from the plaintiff and the fact shall appear, by affidavit, to the satisfaction of the judge or clerk of the court, the levy and attachment of the lien of the garnishment shall constitute sufficient notice to the defendant, provided such levy and attachment of the lien of garnishment alone shall constitute sufficient notice, unless the plaintiff has actual knowledge of the defendant's address, in which case, to provide sufficient notice, the plaintiff shall also mail a written notice of garnishment to the defendant at said address; or, not having such actual knowledge of the defendant's address but the address at which the defendant was served being shown on the return of service in the action resulting in the judgment, to provide sufficient notice, the plaintiff shall also mail a written notice of garnishment to the defendant at said address.

(B) A mailing of the written notice provided for in this Code section shall be made after the issuance of the summons of garnishment and not more than three business days after service of the summons of garnishment on the garnishee; and a certificate of such mailing shall be filed with the clerk by the person mailing the notice;

(5)(A) Where it shall appear by affidavit that a defendant in the garnishment action is not a resident of this state or has departed from this state, or after due diligence cannot be found in this state, or conceals his place of residence from the plaintiff, notice may be given by causing two publications of the written notice in the paper in which advertisements are printed by the sheriff in each county in which a summons of garnishment is served. Such publications must be at least six days apart; and the second publication must be made not more than 21 days after the service of the summons of garnishment on the garnishee. A certification by the person causing the notice to be published shall be filed with the clerk, provided such publication shall constitute sufficient notice alone, unless the plaintiff has actual knowledge of the defendant's address, in which case, to provide sufficient notice, the plaintiff shall also mail a written notice of garnishment to the defendant at said address.

(B) A mailing of the written notice provided for in this Code section shall be made after the issuance of the summons of garnishment and not more than three business days after service of the summons of garnishment on the garnishee; and a certificate of such mailing shall be filed with the clerk by the person mailing the notice;

(6) After issuance of the summons of garnishment and not more than three business days after service of the summons of garnishment on the garnishee, the plaintiff shall send by ordinary mail a written notice of the garnishment to the defendant at the address at which the defendant was served in the action resulting in the judgment on which the garnishment proceeding is based; provided, however, this paragraph may be used only when the garnishment proceeding is commenced within 60 days after the judgment upon which the garnishment is based was obtained. A certification by the person mailing the notice shall be filed with the clerk;

(7) Where the defendant's address is known, the plaintiff, after issuance of the summons of garnishment and not more than three business days after service of the summons of garnishment on the garnishee, shall send to the defendant at such known address by ordinary mail a written notice of the garnishment. A certification by the person mailing the notice shall be filed with the clerk.

(b) The receiving by the defendant of actual timely notice of a summons of garnishment shall constitute notice.

(c) "Written notice," as referred to in paragraphs (2) through (7) of subsection (a) of this Code section, shall consist of a copy of the summons of garnishment or of a document which includes the names of the plaintiff and the defendant, the amount claimed in the affidavit of garnishment, a statement that a garnishment against the property and credits of the defendant has been or will be served on the garnishee, and the name of the court issuing the summons of garnishment.

(d) The methods of notification specified in subsection (a) of this Code section are cumulative and may be used in any sequence or combination. Where it appears that a plaintiff has reasonably, diligently, and in good faith attempted to use one method, another method thereafter may be utilized; and, for the time during which the attempt was being made, the time limit shall be tolled for the subsequent method.

(e) No money or other property delivered to the court by the garnishee shall be distributed; nor shall any judgment be rendered against the garnishee until after the expiration of ten days from the date of compliance with at least one method of notification provided by subsection (a) of this Code section.

You also get notice, in a manner of speaking, when you have been sued.

You know that garnishment can happen once a judgment is entered. The question is, what do you want to do about it? Are you self-employed? Are you already under an order of garnishment already? The maximum that they creeditor can get is 25% of your disposable pay (pay after things like taxes are deducted). But if you earn too little, the creditor might not get anything or may hget very little.. How old are you? What kind of income do you have? Some income, like Social security income is exempt. How much do you owe? Does it make sense to file bankruptcy? It does if this is not your only debt, but other factor may come into play, such as your age and what types of assets you own.

If you want to resolve your debt and not spend the rest of your life in fear, feel free to contact me. If you have decided to pursue bankruptcy, you might be better off contact Attorney Riddle or Attorney Ashman or one of the other bankruptcy attorneys. They can more specifically go over your assets and debts with you or discuss cost of filing bankruptcy.

Rachel Hunter

Attorney at Law

[email protected]

(678)-687-9693

Admitted in GA, PA & NC