Can a debt collector garnish my wages?

Q: Can a debt collector garnish my wages for an overdrawn bank account? Some time ago I had an account that someone else had access to and it was overdrawn. Now a firm is threatening to garnish my wages. They call me now twice a day. Can they do that? (Washington, PA)

A: To my knowledge, in PA, wage garnishment is limited to taxes, child support, and criminal restitution. What this “debt collector” is doing may violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and subject them to fines and possibly compensation to you. You should contact an attorney who handles consumer law.

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