When someone in Ohio owes you money, you may need to take extra steps if the indebted party appears reluctant to pay you. In some cases, you may have to take your case to court, and if you win in court, you become the creditor while the indebted party becomes the debtor.
Per the Hamilton County Municipal Court Help Center, even if you win in court, it is still your responsibility, and not the court’s, to make sure you receive payment from the party who owes you money. A potential way to recoup what someone owes you involves the process of non-wage garnishment.
What happens during non-wage garnishment
While wage garnishment involves taking a portion of the debtor’s earnings until you receive what the debtor owes you, non-wage garnishment works a bit differently. Non-wage garnishment involves collecting funds from the debtor that do not include his or her wages, such as the funds the debtor has sitting in his or her bank account. There are certain assets you may not be able to garnish, including pensions and other government benefits.
What you need to have ready for non-wage garnishment
If you do decide to move forward with garnishing something other than your debtor’s wages, then there are certain things you need to have ready to go. You need to have the debtor’s name and the name or his or her “garnishee,” which is typically a bank. You also need to pay associated filing fees and include a check or money order made out to the bank or other garnishee. You also need to complete and supply a special non-wage garnishment form to move forward with the garnishment.
While non-wage garnishment is one possible way to collect on a debt, you may have several other options, too.
