How to Find Out How Much You Owe on a Garnishment

A garnishment is a legal process where a portion of an individual’s earnings or assets is legally withheld by a third party to satisfy an unpaid debt. This mechanism typically involves diverting funds from sources like wages or bank accounts directly to a creditor. This article provides guidance on how to determine the amount still owed.

Identifying the Garnishing Party and Case Information

The initial step in understanding a garnishment involves identifying the parties involved and the specific legal case. For wage garnishments, a pay stub often provides clues, displaying a deduction labeled “garnishment” and sometimes listing the garnishing entity. Contacting your employer’s payroll or human resources department can yield further details, including the creditor’s name, a reference number, or the court case number.

In situations involving bank garnishments, reviewing bank statements for unusual debit entries or contacting the bank directly can help identify the entity that initiated the freeze. Banks are typically required to freeze funds upon receiving levy documents and will then notify the account holder. While the bank can confirm the amount debited, they generally cannot provide the remaining balance of the original debt.

Most garnishments stem from a court order, making court records a valuable resource. Searching public access court records, often available online, by your name can help locate the relevant case number, the court where the judgment was entered, and the creditor’s attorney. This process helps pinpoint the specific jurisdiction, such as a civil or small claims court, where the garnishment originated. Official notices or documents previously received about the debt or garnishment also contain the creditor’s name, their attorney’s contact details, the court name, and the case or account number. These documents are vital for gathering identifying information.

Obtaining the Current Balance Information

Once the necessary identifying information is gathered, contacting the creditor or their attorney is the most direct way to ascertain the current outstanding balance. When contacting them, provide your full name, date of birth, and the specific case or account number. Requesting a detailed statement is important, as it should outline the original debt, all payments made, and the remaining balance.

Court records can also provide insight into the judgment status and payments officially recorded, although they may not always reflect the absolute current balance due to ongoing interest accrual or recent payments not yet reported to the court. Contacting the court clerk’s office and providing the case number can allow you to inquire about the judgment. This can confirm the initial judgment amount and any payments formally registered with the court.

For wage garnishments, your employer’s payroll department can confirm the total amount garnished from your wages to date. However, employers typically cannot provide the remaining balance owed to the creditor, as their role is limited to processing deductions from disposable earnings and remitting them. Similarly, for bank garnishments, the bank can confirm the amount debited from your account but does not maintain records of your overall debt balance with the creditor. While useful for cross-referencing, these sources are not primary for determining the remaining debt.

Understanding and Verifying the Balance

After obtaining a balance figure, it is important to understand its various components. The total amount owed on a garnishment typically includes the original principal debt. Beyond the principal, interest accrues on the debt, increasing the total sum. Post-judgment interest rates vary, with federal rates linked to the weekly average 1-year Treasury yield, while state rates can range broadly, sometimes from 4% to 17% annually.

Additional fees and costs are frequently added to the outstanding balance. These may include court filing fees, which can range from $100 to $400, and summons fees, often between $30 and $100 per defendant. Attorney fees and collection costs, such as sheriff or court clerk fees for processing the garnishment, are also commonly incorporated into the total amount. These costs are generally recoverable by the creditor and are added to the judgment.

It is advisable to always request a detailed, itemized statement from the creditor or their attorney. This statement should show the original judgment or debt amount, a clear breakdown of all accrued interest, added costs, and an accounting of all payments received and how they were applied. Reviewing this statement against your own records, such as pay stubs or bank statements, helps ensure all payments have been accurately credited. This verification process confirms the accuracy of the reported outstanding balance.