Trucking Collections Nonsense

Hey all, quick question.

3 years ago, My friend started with Western Express and was in the student program but broke contract and went with another carrier half way through.

Long story short, they sent his debt to collections (and He paid it off). If He were to go work for them again, How would he deal with them if they tried to unjustly garnish his wages on a debt he already paid off?

He has all the official paperwork from the collection company that he paid it off btw.

My friend asked me this but I didn’t know what to tell him. I heard you guys know the ins and outs.

Hello and welcome to the forum. If his debt is paid, he should have no issues with them. Also...you say he paid the collection company (which I strongly advise against), and "they tried to garnish his wages".

Who is "they"? Collection agencies buy the account from the original creditor aka WE. So if the collection agency is the one who attempted the garnishment... WE had nothing to do with it.

The best thing to do is to talk to WE to see if he is rehire able

Hello and welcome to the forum. If his debt is paid, he should have no issues with them. Also...you say he paid the collection company (which I strongly advise against), and "they tried to garnish his wages".

Who is "they"? Collection agencies buy the account from the original creditor aka WE. So if the collection agency is the one who attempted the garnishment... WE had nothing to do with it.

The best thing to do is to talk to WE to see if he is rehire able

Oh I meant What if Western Express themselves unjustly garnishes his wages on the debt they sold and he paid off when he go works for them again.

Sorry I should have been more clear. But yes he’s Rehire-able they told him.

Well that's an unlikely issue. Worrying about what ifs can drive you crazy.

Why would the company (any company) attempt that? If he broke his legal contract that had to be recouped via a collection agency, I would be surprised that he would even get an opportunity to be rehired there. He already has a past that shows him to be unreliable.

An employer cannot legally garnish wages without a court ordered judgment.

..on 2nd thought they can try anything they want but he could fight it legally (probably a moot point). Ultimately though, as Packrat said, he already screwed them once, why would they want a round 2?

An employer cannot legally garnish wages without a court ordered judgment.

Considering he broke his original contract with Western Express, what would motivate him to go back to them?

He breached a binding contract, WE had every legal right to collect the debt.

Correct… “nonsense”

…there is likely a backstory to this.

An employer cannot legally garnish wages without a court ordered judgment.

Not in this case. He signed a contract agreeing to repay them. That contract may no longer be enforceable if they sold it to collections, but just for future reference a contract is a contract.