Pennsylvania CUs testify for garnishment of debtors' wages

PHILADELPHIA - Michael J. Symons, CEO, Nor-Car CU and a member of the Pennsylvania Credit Union League Board of Directors was one of nine people who testified April 10 at a public hearing on state Senate Bill 1098, the proposed Judgment Creditor Garnishment Authorization Act. Introduced last September by state Sen. Charles Dent (R-16), the measure would permit a judgment creditor to apply to a court to attach the wages of a debtor for payment of an outstanding judgment. Pennsylvania is one of four states in the U.S. that does not allow garnishment of debtors' salaries by creditor with judgments. The others are North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. In his testimony, Symons said wage garnishment would offer credit unions "a tool" to recover the millions credit unions charge off in delinquent loans and credit cards. "The members of the Pennsylvania Credit Union League are actively supporting wage garnishment because we are seeing too many people walk away from paying their bills," Symons told the state Senate Judiciary Committee members. "These people are not people who have lost their jobs or sustained high medical bills or are low-income. These are working people who apparently do not want to be accountable for their legitimate debts. We believe it is time to require personal responsibility from those that can afford to meet their legal obligations." Among the groups who testified against the legislation was the AFL-CIO. Patricia Raymond of the PCUL said David Wilderman, director of legislation, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO discussed the sanctity of wages and offered that the garnishment of debtors' salaries would contribute to workplace violence. Carolyn Carter of the National Consumer Law Center also spoke against the measure. Raymond said the PCUL hopes the judiciary committee will vote on S.B. 1098 by the end of the month.