Gary D. Nitzkin's Answers

Can the cosigner of my student loan sue me when the loan hasn't been paid?

This is quite a legal conundrum. If I were you, I would file a motion to set aside the judgment as soon as possible. In that motion, I would advise the court that even after paying this judgment, you would be exposed to the debt from the student loan people. I would then ask the court to issue a summons to make the student loan people a party to the litigation. I would not waste any time, if I were you, getting this motion filed.

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Unemployment in Michigan garnishments

Not your social security, they cannot garnish. Social Security is protected by federal law. I dont know whether your unemployment benefits are garnishable, but somehow, I doubt that they are.

Credit card debt after death

Banks that fund credit cards are notorious for failing to distinguish between "debtor" and "authorized users." A debtor is someone that is liable on a credit cards. An authorized user is merely authorized by the debtor to use the credit card, but is not liable on it. In this case, Chase's debt collectors are not being candid with you. While its true that the estate may be responsible for the credit card debt, the fact remains that if there is no money in the estate after final expenses such...

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I have been sued for $3,800 of credit card debt sold twice and owned by a law firm.

You can go either way, it appears, without material consequence. If you do nothing, a default judgment will be entered against you. If your fortunes reverse and you come into assets, you can be garnished and your assets can be seized. On the other hand, you could defend this case yourself and why shouldn't you? You are unemployed and have nothing better to do. This will certainly give you a break from all the television that you are probably watching, right?

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How much information can a debt collector share with my spouce if he's not on the account?

Under the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA"), a third party debt collector who is collecting on a debt that was incurred for personal, family or household use, may not communicate with anyone other than the debtor about the debt except for the debtor's lawyer, spouse or anyone else that is expressly authorized by the debtor to receive such communication. The short answer is yes, the debt collector can speak with your spouse about the debt.

Can a Bank bring a Bank Account Levy on Military Retirement Pay accounts?

Absolutely NOT. Pension and retirement accounts that are governed by ERISA are protected from state actions such as garnishments. Federal law prohibits such garnishments. Rest easy as your Military Retirement account is protected.

Should i keep paying debt collectors if they are not sending me anything on paper?

Under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, they MUST send you a validation notice in which they identify the debt and your right to dispute it within a 30 days period. Furthermore, they cannot harass you in connection with the collection of that debt. Not only would I not make any payments to them, I would sue them under the FDCPA as they now owe you money.

How long can a debt collector pursue a debt?

Forget the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. That does not answer your question. The real question is how long is the statute of limitations on the debt for which collection agencies are pursuing you. Each state has a different statute of limitations For example, in MIchigan, we have a 6 year statute of limitations on a breach of contract claim and a 3 year S/L for a bad check. I dont know the S/L for these claims in Illinois, but it should be easy enough for you to find out. If you...

I received a summons from the Circuit Court for collection of a credit card debt. , SS.

Check out Greenpath Financial. Its a large non profit organization that helps people work out debts with credit card companies. It ends up being a good deal for both the consumer and the credit card company because the creditor gets money that it might otherwise not get. In the mean time, go get an attorney. I know you say that you cannot afford one, but I am here to tell you that can not afford to default on this lawsuit. In fact, I would hire a bankruptcy attorney to handle this matter...

I had a garnishment placed against me at work and now the same creditor has placed a levy against a bank acct. Can they do both

Yes, the creditor can do both...and more. In fact, I am surprised that the lender has not garnished your state income tax return or sent a court officer to seize your assets such as your car. You best bet is to contact the creditor's attorney and make a deal to pay off the debt in installments. Alternatively, you can go to court and ask the judge to allow you to pay the debt in installment payments.