Unpaid judgements? best way to pay them back?

I have 2 judgements against me for unpaid credit card bills. there is a 3rd party agency handling them. they keep calling me. i'm back to work now (after maternity leave) how do i go about paying them back without them garnishing my wages? they want an unreasonable monthly payment. anyway to negotiate with them to lower the payments? please help i really want to get them paid.

First, check to make sure your wages are subject to being garnished. If you've been on state assistance or make less than x in wages - you might not need to worry.

Typically, a credit agency cannot turn away your payment - do not agree to anything more than you will be able to afford. If you can only afford $25.00 a month - then that is what you tell them...if they tell you that is unacceptable - ask them if they are declining your efforts to pay your debt...they will most often say no, they are not, but they need you to make a stronger effort to work with them. Explain that the $25.00 is all you can afford and they can take it or leave it, you are doing the best you can to get back up on your feet. Do not give them your banking information if at all possible. Many credit agencies will continue to take money from your account. Get a mailing address where you will be able to send payments. Explain that you will TRY to make a $25.00/mo. payment - do not agree to anything - they usually record their calls. Do not tell them where you are working or you take the chance of having your wages garnished. When sending out your payments, make sure you do so with a money order - not cash, not a personal check - On the money order, be sure to clearly fill in all the areas. Place it in an envelope and mail it certified to the address they provided you. It is extra money to mail certified - a little over $4.00 usually - but this way you will get a receipt back showing who and when someone signed for your payment and they're records will continue to match yours. Also, depending on how bad they really want their money - some credit agencies will send people to investigate your daily activities. Get yourself a PO Box and explain to the credit agency you need to change the address on file with them. They could still find you, but it would be a bit extra work. Best of luck with getting this taken care of!

ps. You will never be able to guarantee they do not garnish your wages - however, most companies will not spend extra money if they are receiving money from you. There are no guarantees in the world of debt.

Do not pay more than you can afford, its robbing Peter to pay Paul and will not get you ahead in your debt.

The information I have provided you with is a combination of that from my personal lawyer and knowledge from my years of education as well as working in a collections agency.

Do some research and have them validate the debt first. Then talk to them about negotiating the payments - if you get someone who is harassing or threatening - ask to be transferred. They want your money so they should work with you - if they refuse to give you payments still send them money each month - they will cash it and if the go to court to get an order to garnish your wages you will be able to show the judge your good faith effort to pay the debt and likely avoid the garnishment.

Big thing - know your rights!

Is there any way you can borrow the money to pay them back? Probably from relatives or friends? If not, then having a judgement against you doesnt leave you with much options. You can send in the payments you can afford I suppose. I dont think any interest should be added to the judgement amount. Im not sure about that tho. You could speak to someone else in the collection agency, perhaps a manager and explain the situation to him/her. Perhaps they can help you further. If not, the contact a consumer credit couselling agency and see if they can help you. Good luck, hope this helps a bit

First of all, wage garnishment is different in every state. Some prohibit it, some limit the amount of your income that can be garnished, and others use the Federal Regulations (25% of disposable income).

Here is a link to find your states laws.
http://www.bcsalliance.com/y_debt_statel...

Second: Since it appears there is a 3rd party collection agency involved, that usualy means the original creditors have sold off or charged off the debts. This could be due to the fact that perhaps your state SOL has expired and they can not take legal action. Thus, are you sure those are legal judgments against you? were you properly served the court summons to appear?
Did the collection agency send you a letter stating they have a judgment against you? (and if they do not, then this is an illegal practice as per the FDCPA).

You need to find out if this "judgment" is a legal one. If you did get a summons to appear and failed to do so, then they won the case by default and you will have to pay.

I would think that if your state does allow for garnishment,and the debt is within your states SOL, and the judgment was a legal one, then there would be no need for them to contact you about making payments, they would already have contacted your employer and started wage garnishment, or seized any funds you might have in the bank!

Hope this answers your question
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The advice contained herein is for informational purposes only. It is not to be construed as Legal Counsel nor Legal Advice.

What state do you live in? Not all states allow wage garnishment. You might want to consider hiring an attorney to negotiate for you. You can get an attorney referral from your local county bar association. You might also be eligible for free legal assistance from your local legal aid office.

The fact is that if they have court judgments against you, they can garnish your wages at will. You'd be better off trying to make those "unreasonable" payments.