WORKPLACE PRIVACY AND GARNISHED WAGES
By Grant Hall 


A reader has complained about his workplace privacy being invaded by a child support collection government agency. This article summarizes his story and is provided for educational and information purposes. The author and publisher advise readers to follow all laws as they exercise their privacy rights.

James was ordered by a child support collection agency in an eastern state to pay $3,400 for the support of his four children following his divorce. Alimony in the amount of $2,600 was also ordered. The total amount of court damages from his divorce included this total payment of $6,000 as well as the forfeiture of the family residence and other property.

“Their investigators hounded my boss over the phone, bothered me in the parking lot and followed me on weekends. I was even interrupted while showing prospective buyers property,” James explained. “Finally, I was under so much pressure that my work as a sales person began to suffer. Then the real estate market crashed. I filed to reduce the support and alimony payments. They ignored me. Then I was laid off.”

Once he fell into arrears, the investigators from child support collection began the process of attempting more of the same; garnishment of wages. A lien on personal property and a home lien were threatened by the investigator assigned to his case when the state stopped receiving payments from forced wage garnishments. However, James was now a renter and had no personal or investment property in his name.

How did he manage those who wanted his money by force once there were no more wages to garnish due to his unemployment? “I made the decision to live under the radar. No more wage garnishments. I am empowered to stop wage garnishments. And I did. Now, I send my payments to my ex as I can afford them from profits generated from my new house cleaning business. And I have my entire life under my control. I have cash banking, home privacy, banking secrecy, identity privacy, credit card privacy, data protection, and a secret safe deposit box,” James explained.

We have read about a number of workplace privacy invasions over the years and there are cases on record of workers’ wage garnishments becoming so excessive that the garnishee has been forced to become homeless. Several divorced fathers have reportedly committed suicide due to pressures from government child support collection agencies.

This report is based on a reader’s communication to us. We advise everyone to follow all laws.

Copyright: James Clark King, LLC, December 18, 2009