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You head to an ATM to withdraw $100 from your bank account. But you’re unable to get any of your money. You later find out your bank account has been frozen.
In many cases, a bank blocks your access to the account because a debt collector has obtained a court order against you. The court order requires the bank to freeze your account so the debt collector can recover money that’ll help cover your past-due debt.
If you find yourself in a situation like this—or you want to keep it from ever happening—read on so you can minimize or avoid the financial fallout of a frozen bank account.
How a Debt Collector Gets Access to Your Bank Account
A debt collector gains access to your bank account through a legal process called garnishment.
If one of your debts goes unpaid, a creditor—or a debt collector that it hires—may obtain a court order to freeze your bank account and pull out money to cover the debt. The court order itself is known as a garnishment. The court order normally comes after a debt collector sues you and then wins a judgment against you.
Debts that may be affected include credit card bills, auto loan payments, personal loan payments, medical bills and mortgage payments.
In addition to garnishing a bank account, a debt collector may be able to garnish your wages. This happens when a debt collector secures a court order requiring your employer to subtract wages from your paycheck to cover an unpaid debt.
Four states—North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas—don’t allow wage garnishment for consumer debt. If you live in one of those states, a debt collector can still essentially garnish your wages by garnishing your bank account, though. Once your wages are deposited into your bank account, they aren’t considered wages anymore. Therefore, a debt collector may be able to tap into your account and take your money—including money from your paycheck.
Can a Debt Collector Take Money From Your Account Without Permission?
Usually, a debt collector must obtain a court order before accessing your bank account. However, certain federal agencies, including the IRS, may be able to access your bank account without permission from a court.
How Much Money Can a Debt Collector Take From Your Account?
The amount of money a debt collector can take from your account depends on the state where you live.
In New York, for example, $2,664 to $3,600 in a consumer’s bank account is automatically protected from a garnishment for debt collection. In California, that amount was $1,788 as of September 2020; the sum is adjusted each year for inflation. Meanwhile, Delaware bans garnishment of bank accounts.
In several other states, a consumer can apply a “wildcard” exemption to garnishment of assets, which may include a bank account. According to the National Consumer Law Center, examples of these exemption amounts include:
- Florida ($5,000)
- Illinois ($4,000)
- Maryland ($6,000)
- Nevada ($10,000)
- North Carolina ($5,000)
- South Dakota ($7,000)
- Tennessee ($10,000)
- Virginia ($5,000 plus $500 per dependent)
- Washington ($2,000 of a $3,000 wildcard exemption can be applied to a bank account)
Aside from the original debt, a debt collector could take money to cover court-ordered fees and other costs.
What Can a Debt Collector Not Take From Your Account?
Many federal benefits can’t be taken through garnishment, except to pay delinquent taxes, alimony, child support or student loans. The laws in your state may determine which state benefits can be garnished.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, federal benefits that generally are exempt from garnishment (other than to pay delinquent taxes, alimony, child support or student loans) include:
- Social Security benefits
- Supplemental Security Income benefits
- Veterans benefits
- Federal student aid
- Military annuities and survivors’ benefits
- Benefits from the federal Office of Personnel Management
- Railroad retirement benefits
- Federal emergency disaster assistance
How to Open a Bank Account That Creditors Can’t Access
When it comes to garnishment, certain kinds of bank accounts may be out of the reach of debt collectors and creditors:
- In some states, a bank account jointly held by a married couple may be exempt from garnishment if the debt in question is owed by one spouse but not the other. However, if both spouses owe the debt, the account isn’t necessarily protected.
- An account opened at a bank in a state that bans account garnishments likely would be shielded from creditors. Keep in mind, though, that some banks may not let out-of-state residents open accounts.
- You may be able to safeguard money that you know is exempt from garnishment by keeping it in a bank account that’s separate from your other accounts. For instance, if you can prove that an account contains only Social Security benefits, you should be able to protect that money.
- In many states, some IRS-designated trust accounts may be exempt from creditor garnishment. This includes individual retirement accounts (IRAs), pension accounts and annuity accounts.
- Assets (including bank accounts) held in what’s known as an irrevocable living trust cannot be accessed by creditors. Creditors can, however, dip into a revocable living trust. As their names suggest, an irrevocable trust can’t easily be changed once it’s in place, while a revocable trust can easily be changed. People use a living trust as an estate-planning tool.
How Can I Protect My Bank Account From Creditors?
The consequences of a creditor’s garnishing your bank account can be harsh. Fortunately, you can take steps to prevent this from happening in the first place.
Don’t Let Debts Get to Garnishment Stage
Perhaps the simplest way to avoid garnishment of your bank account is to keep up with debt payments. But if that’s not an option, you might seek help from a nonprofit credit counseling service. A credit counselor may be able to block garnishment by working with your creditors on a plan to pay off your debts over time.
Respond to Lawsuits and Show Up in Court
Ignoring a lawsuit filed by a debt collector can make matters worse, perhaps leading to your bank account’s being garnished. If you respond promptly to legal action taken against you by a debt collector—this includes appearing at court hearings on the matter—then you might avoid a judgment against you and, ultimately, garnishment of your bank account.
What Happens if a Debt Collector Sues You?
If a debt collector sues you, be sure to respond right away, either on your own or through an attorney. This may involve submitting a written response or showing up in court, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
In addition, review your financial records regarding the debt, and read through the lawsuit. Look for any errors in the suit, such as an incorrect amount related to the debt you owe.
Having trouble figuring out the legal lingo and your next steps? You may want to seek the expertise of a legal aid service or an attorney.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a frozen bank account?
A bank account is frozen when a creditor obtains a court order, giving it access to your account to recover unpaid debt. When your bank account is frozen, you can deposit money, but you can’t withdraw money.
Does a creditor have to notify you before freezing your bank account?
No. A creditor does not need to tell you if your bank account is frozen after securing a judgment against you for unpaid debt. However, a creditor must notify you when it files a lawsuit against you and when it has received a judgment against you.
Is your bank required to alert before it freezes your account?
No. Once a judge demands that a bank freeze your account after a creditor obtains a judgment against you, your bank must freeze the account immediately before telling you.
How can you unfreeze a bank account?
The best way to unfreeze your bank account is to reach an agreement with the creditor on a plan to pay off the debt.
