rant... i hate somebody.. the bureacracy

[A4J]

So, I get an envelope on my desk this morning stamped CONFIDENTIAL. It's never happened before and I've been involved in a lot of confidential items, so I'm thinking it's the worst like I'm being laid off or something. I open it up, it's a wage garnishment letter for delinquent car registration. WTF! All my cars are current in their registration and the letter says nothing about what car it is, except that they have my address wrong.

So, I call the number in the letter - it's a bunch of prerecorded messages but I finally get another phone number. I try the other number - more prerecorded messages, but I get options to talk to a live person. I press 1 - more prerecorded messages. I finally get through and I'm on hold for an hour. Goddamnit!!

The operator tells me it's for a GMC truck. I've never owned a truck. I've never lived at the address they have on file, but the name and SSN matches. Again, WTF!! More checking and they finally figure out it's not me, so now I'm waiting for a fax to take to the payroll dept so that they don't withhold $589!! Fockin A!!

 

[IrregularPulse]

Holy F! That sucks. I think I'd be getting a credit report and and checking bank statements too. Looks like somebody stole your info and bought a truck.

 

[the_bird]

... boy, sure sounds suspicious. ID theft, perhaps? Sounds like all they had was your name and SS #, and SOMEBODY was getting your money.

 

[Mountainbeers]

Yea get your credit on lockdown quick.

 

[AnonyBrew]

Identity theft aside, I don't understand how a company can simply "garnish" your wages through your employer if it's not work related. That doesn't seem legal to me, but I'm not a lawyer.

 

[Bopper]

Definitely lock down your credit and pull a credit report to make sure there aren't other things you don't know about. Call the credit agencies and have them put a fraud alert on your report which will prevent any new accounts or credit lines from being opened without verbal permission from you directly (you provide them with a phone number for them to call). I believe fraud alerts are good for six months.

Damn, that sucks. I've been through it as well...although they caught it and denied the credit card the guy was trying to open with my name and SOS.

 

[dataz722]

Identity theft aside, I don't understand how a company can simply "garnish" your wages through your employer if it's not work related. That doesn't seem legal to me, but I'm not a lawyer.

It wasn't a company, it was the gubment.

 

[Mountainbeers]

Identity theft aside, I don't understand how a company can simply "garnish" your wages through your employer if it's not work related. That doesn't seem legal to me, but I'm not a lawyer.

Maybe he works for the government?

Either way it was a good red flag.

 

[david_42]

Garnishment can occur for many reasons. Having been a Naval officer, I dealt with the process often. People make loans, sell junk, etc. to military personnel because they know the people can't run away.

I've got some junk on one of my credit reports: wrong name, wrong address, wrong SSN. BUT, it's my problem to prove it's junk. Ain't easy.

 

[A4J]

I should've mentioned that it was the DMV that's garnishing wages for vehicle registration fees. It didn't sound like this other person had my SSN but DMV assumed we were the same person. I have a fairly common name. My middle name is very unique and the driver's license number didn't match. I think it was just a glitch in the system, but yeah, I'm the phone right with the credit bureaus.

 

[DoubleXL]

Not sure but it sounds like it might be a California thing here its a little harder to get a garnishment pushed through. But that being said i just had a friend who drivers licness was suppended since some one stole his licness plate "and he did have it reported" but the theifs the went and stole gas with the plates on there car. He was charged with theft and driving while suppended till the got it all worked out. I think some of these "rules " Laws are starting to go a little far here.

 

[srm775]

Identity theft aside, I don't understand how a company can simply "garnish" your wages through your employer if it's not work related. That doesn't seem legal to me, but I'm not a lawyer.

It's not that difficult, it just takes a court order. If you take out a loan, don't pay it and that lending institutions seeks and get's a judgement against you, it can then seek a wage garnishment through the court system as well.

 

[airmek]

In order for your wages to be garnished, they have to have a judgement against you. They cant just do it any time they please. Sounds like they may have a default judgement where they sued you, you did not show up for the court date, so a default judgement was issued.

You might want to get a lawyer and get that reversed if thats the case. If not it could come back to haunt you.