DiosaBellissima, if you are interested I can show you the Treasury letter (the only thing they ever sent me) that had the notice that they garnished my tax return offset thing.
This will show exactly who they are sending the money to. No banking codes and all that bullshit- it will have a name, address, blah blah blah. If it IS going to the TD (and not some scammer), then you have this in your hand and can move forward as necessary.
For what it’s worth, every week, I see a handful of employers issue unlawful levies on their employees because they are ignorant to what they are supposed to be doing. Big companies. Government agencies. Etc. I wouldn’t rule out this being a scammer just yet.
To your offer, thank you, but I am not a lawyer, nor your lawyer for that matter :); I just deal with a lot of wage levies on the day to day. Demand an actual copy of the levy.
So, forgive me here, but: your check is direct deposited into your bank account, yes? So are you SURE it’s a wage levy and not a bank levy?
Me neither. Linebarger just said that it was given a bunch of zombie debt to process from Treasury. There has to be something more to it that they aren’t telling me because I didn’t owe the federal government anything when I was sixteen years old or younger.
I don’t know about the OP, but up where I live the public library lets anyone living in the area reserve 2 hour blocks of internet time without charge on their computers. It’s really quite possible to post on the internet even if one does not personally own a computer.
In my county the unemployment office and public aid also provide internet access and computers for use.
Nothing mysterious here.
Any lien or judgement against you should show up on your credit report.
You can easily get your credit report at no cost from all 3 bureaus by going to www.annualcreditreport.com. That is the site where you can get a free report every 12 months as mandated by law. It’s not the same as those free credit report dot com guys, nothing to sign up for you just access your report and you can print it or have it mailed to you, etc.
That way you could possibly see if there are any liens or judgements and where they are from.
The OP is in a bad place, but I can believe it. I have heard many tales of collection agencies gone wild, and I have one. In my case the first I heard of it was when the collection agency tried to garnishee my husband’s paycheck. The clueless collection agency–from whom we had previously heard not one word–filed a garnishment order to Yellow Cab, apparently unaware that YC doesn’t pay drivers, drivers pay YC.
So I, being the investigative one, called the agency to ask what was up, and got a very snippy so-called paralegal who informed me that they could take this, they could take that, and blah blah blah, and the gist of it was that I had a court date and if I didn’t show up I would get a JUDGMENT, and I didn’t want to have to go to court, did I?
Oh, but I did. Because the link to me was thus: I had moonlighted, a couple of years before, as a typesetter for a small print shop. When the small print shop couldn’t handle the job, they sent the type over a modem to a larger print shop. So this one client had never paid–not the small shop I worked for, nor the larger shop who eventually delivered the type. And the only person they could find with no defenses was…ta da, ME, whose only contribution to this had been sending the files over the modem to the big print shop. Big print shop sold the debt to Voracious Collection Agency, and they proceeded from there.
Unbelievable, right? But that’s what happened.
So, after being told by my lawyer friends that if I ignored the court date and had a judgment entered against me this would indeed be my debt, I went to court. Ran into the snippy paralegal outside, who said, “Okay, now are you ready to deal?” I replied that I could not wait for the judge to hear my side of the story, which took some of the wind out of her sails–apparently that didn’t usually happen.
And it worked. As I told the judge of my “involvement”–and that I hadn’t even seen the type, let alone profited from it in any way–he kept glaring at the paralegal and the lawyer, dropped the thing, and assessed court costs against them. It was over in about eight minutes. I wish I could have collected something for my emotional angst and having to travel to court.
I hope the OP’s works out. Be persitent.
Translucent Daydream, your story is truly horrifying. I have a couple of ideas of things you could do but I am about to fall over from exhaustion, so I will write more tomorrow.
I haven’t read the last two pages… but OP, please, please contact news agencies. They love horror stories like this and with the attention you get I wouldn’t be surprised if you had lawyers offering to help you for free or… I don’t know, something.
I really hope to read this later and hear that things are going better. Your story sucks hard, man.
Thanks for the words of support. The congressman’s office as of 11:28 AM Central hasn’t heard anything from Treasury except “we will call you right back.”
My brother’s financial advisor best friend is saying that I need to prepare for chapter 13. How long would you guys suggest I wait before I start thinking about this situation? I guess a better way to ask is how bad do things need to get before thats the best option?
I don’t know anything about bankruptcy or anything like that. I had a damn 790 credit score or right near. Its hard trying not to feel like a failure when you have to call Chevron Credit Card and tell them that I can’t really pay them right now, and I am not sure when the money is coming… in the middle of a situation…
I have an idea the people want to think this sort of thing will never happen to them - that bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to good people - but that just isn’t so.
Sometimes a person can do all the right things - the right way and still have it all fall apart.
The original op is working and dealing with alot of stuff - last time I looked there are only 24 hours in a day.
So the op has to fight this rapidly taking over his life illegal action - while still working - commuting - and still trying to fight the situation during those daytime hours - when government offices are open - playing phone tag - losing his home - maybe his job - maybe all his belongings - no money - maybe no food - if the op takes time off from work - that is even more reason for his employer to “legally” let him be fired. How many lawyers and legal aid places will even fight the government - knowing what a “CF” it can be?
He is supposed to supply documents he doesn’t have - find time to get to a library - if there is one available - and people assume there is one - with computers and faxes and scanners - maybe the OP has no transportation - maybe the OP has no money for gas to get anywhere.
It sounds like the OP is doing everything they can - but the case is happening so quickly - that there is no time to solve it - it is a done deal.
I am wishing you the best OP.
Translucent Daydream, the only document that you haven’t mentioned having a copy of is a document from this Linebarger company stating in writing what they’ve told you over the phone. It needs to be on their letterhead and state that they have determined the debt isn’t yours and that they have notified Treasury in writing of their determination. You also need a copy of their letter to Treasury.
My feeling is that they haven’t either told Treasury this or haven’t told Treasury in writing. And as far as the government is concerned, if it isn’t in writing, it never happened.
In other words, you have to think in terms of building a case against all the parties involved. After all, THEY think they have built a case against YOU. So you need EVERYTHING in writing. Keep detailed notes of everything you do and every person you speak with. It’s a pain, yes, but it will help you in the end. YOU know that you don’t owe this debt and never owed it, but the folks with all the power don’t know it and apparently don’t care. And, honestly, not to be a downer or anything, if you do end up in court over this, having no documentation or records won’t help your case. After all, they’ve got SOMETHING in writing (even if it’s wrong) saying you owe this debt. And so you need equal or better documentation saying you don’t. No, I’m not a lawyer, nor do I play one on tv. This is just offered as common sense advice.
And I second others who are telling you to get your Senator’s office involved! As a courtesy tell them you have also spoken to the Representative’s office, but the Senator’s office might be able to rattle more doors.
NEVER accept what a government rep (or anyone else for that matter) tells you over the phone. Just because an employee says the debt was “confirmed” twice doesn’t mean anything. Did they give you any written statement or letter for each confirmation? Did they give you any forms to file before each confirmation or any opportunity to dispute the debt prior to or during the “confirmation?”
Just some thoughts. Look, it’s understandable for you to feel confused with everything going on because it IS confusing! And I’m sure your mother’s health concerns are much more important to you right now than everything else. But…having said that, you’re going to have to do all the fighting and standing up for yourself in this. It’s YOUR job, YOUR house, YOUR money, YOUR credit, YOUR life that is being damaged by all of this. There is no one who can care more about and for you than you. So be “the hub.” Be the one who knows everything that is going on. Be the one to whom everyone else has to report. And if they don’t report, then follow up. And insist if you have to.
Someone posted above (I forgot who, sorry) that garnishments are the result of a court order - with the exception of IRS tax debts. So where’s the court order? Did you get a copy of it? Someone has to have a copy of it somewhere. Wouldn’t your HR office and your bank have it?
Anyway, just my thoughts. I hope this helps.
Type “linebarger scam” into Google and see the number of hits that come up. This is a shady company and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are the root of your problem. There are only so many hours in the day, but I would try and dig up as much dirt as possible on them and steer those investigating this in their direction. In order to collect your “debt” they might have done something illegal.
Hey Translucent Daydream, any update?
Chevron still uses their own credit cards? I thought it was all MC or Visa these days.
I know this is late coming but there are several ads in my paper about people that are buying up properties about to be foreclosed on. You basically don’t make anything on the deal but they pay the closing costs and pay off the bank note. I don’t know if it is too late for you to do this but they say they can do it up till the house is foreclosed on. Good Luck.
I’m still not sure of what’s going on here, but I was just looking into this myself. He hasn’t logged in since about half an hour after his last post in this thread.
any update I also am intrigued
I’m guessing the cable company hasn’t come out to hook up internet access in his refrigerator box.
I hope his mom is OK. What a cluster****.
I have a friend that received a similar letter from another bottom feeder debt collector. In his case it was sent to his correct first and last name, but the wrong middle initial. He called them and they promised to take care of it, yet kept sending him collection letters, and finally he was summoned to a court date. They told him that was just a mistake, and he didn’t need to come to court. Fortunately, he consulted a lawyer, who told him that if he didn’t appear in court, the debt would be ruled legally his, and even definitive proof that it was accrued by someone else wouldn’t change that. In other words, the bottom feeders deliberately lied to him hoping they could get the debt reassigned to someone they could force to pay it.