Most of us have heard of wage garnishment, which is when a court orders your employer to take money out of your paycheck, often for not paying child support.
But one Fairfield, Ohio man just learned that your wages can be garnished over many other things, including a dispute over a piece of furniture you bought.
That's what Gil Ceder did, and he now learned why withholding payments is a very risky thing to do.
His employer has been forced to start garnishing his wages all over a damaged living room couch he received.
"They are taking $450 out of my paycheck every two weeks," he said, "which is $900 a month."
All over a dispute over broken couch leg
It all started when he bought a $3,000 couch several years ago.
"When they were bringing it off the truck, the delivery driver snapped the leg off," said Ceder.
He said the delivery crew refused to take it back with them, saying the store would send someone to repair it.
"So they took a brick, wrapped it in a towel, stuck it up underneath it," Ceder said.
But 6 months later, he said, the store still hadn't fixed it, so he decided to stop making payments.
"I'm not paying for this until you fix it," he said he told the store. "It's literally hanging on a brick in the middle of my living room."
What happens if you stop making payments
Whether it's a broken couch or a kitchen appliance that just won't work, it's so tempting, in your frustration, to simply stop making payments.
But Ceder found out that stores won't hesitate to turn you over to collections — and that collection agency won't hesitate to take you to court.
"Apparently it went to court," Ceder said. "I never got a notification of the court date."
Ceder claims he never knew the store was taking him to court and never received a letter in the mail regarding a case against him.
But an official notice from Hamilton County Municipal Court clearly shows a judgment against him, requiring wage garnishment from his employer until the couch, plus several years of interest, is paid off.
"It was a $3,000 couch, even with financing, and the amount I owe to the garnishment is now over $8,000," he said. "I feel like I am being penalized for the store's error."
We contacted the the store, which told us it has nothing to do with the court order, as it routinely turns customers over to collections after several months of missed payments.
So we reached out to the collection agency, where its attorney told us it did everything by the book, and that Ceder should have received notice of the court case against him where he would have had a chance to respond.
But the attorney said the collection agency would be willing to drop the case and the garnishment if Ceder pays $1,500 to settle up the case at this point.
Ceder plans to do that, saying it was a tough and unfair lesson.
But the bottom line is that if you have a problem with a product you bought, file complaints with the store and the Better Business Bureau.
If nothing happens, consider taking the store to small claims court where they are not allowed to bring in a lawyer.
Just don't stop paying for something, so you don't waste your money.
___________________________________
"Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").
Follow John:
- Facebook:John Matarese Money
- Instagram: @johnmataresemoney
- Twitter: @JohnMatarese
For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com
