Mann Bracken: Is it difficult to deal with them?

Excellent. So what help do you need?

I have a court date on the 10th, for Mann Bracken for a 4700 discover bill, my question is, will they show up and if so what do I need to say, bring etc... I am contemplating bankruptcy but I will need to save what little money I have for that. Any suggestions

do i need to call them and tell them I can borrow $200 or maybe $300 and let it be pay off . I don`t much on ssi and ss. thanks

Do not pay Mann Bracken anything without calling a lawyer first! There are things a lawyer will tell you that Mann Bracken does not want you to know. You may contact consumer attorney,solicitation not allowed - Jason, for a free consultation.

As long as you get it on paper before you pay a dime you should be ok.

So here's my question. I received a notice from mann bracken llp (is this the same as mb llc?) Stating an intent to sue. I would like to send a letter requesting validation of the debt, am I too late to do this? I tried sending them a fax twice today, the phone number must not have been valid as it never answered. So I am going to send a certified letter. I am able to pay my debt, but am terrified of agreeing to any arrangements after reading some of the posts on here ad other sites. What should I do?

There's no need to be terrified. Just get everything in writing.

Letters and phone calls threatening to sue might be considered harassment. Excessive phone calls can also be considered harrassment. Start off by sending them a "Cease and Desist all Phone Calls" letter and state yopur phone number. The the calls continue, give then and second, thirs and even fourth notice to "Cease and Desist all calls. I belive it is against the law to claim you owe money when you do not, it might be a felony so have them validate the debt. Send a letter saying you only want to communicate via ground mail and that you want them to validate the debt. Some agencies send out mass mail and they might not even have a right to collect on the debt. You can tell them that if they continue to bother you, you will contact the FTC. You also have a right to ask a caller there first and last name, if they refuse to say, tell them you want to know who is calling because it is your right to know and that way you can report them to the FTC, Police etc. Once you give notice for them not to call, they are breaking the law if they do so you ned to know there first and last name.

If they sue you, file for bankruptct !!! There are online companies that offer credit counseling, this is required before you file for bankruptcy.

Good Luck to all and protect yourself with these tips!!

Letters and phone calls threatening to sue might be considered harassment. Excessive phone calls can also be considered harrassment. Start off by sending them a "Cease and Desist all Phone Calls" letter and state yopur phone number. The the calls continue, give then and second, thirs and even fourth notice to "Cease and Desist all calls. I belive it is against the law to claim you owe money when you do not, it might be a felony so have them validate the debt. Send a letter saying you only want to communicate via ground mail and that you want them to validate the debt. Some agencies send out mass mail and they might not even have a right to collect on the debt. You can tell them that if they continue to bother you, you will contact the FTC. You also have a right to ask a caller there first and last name, if they refuse to say, tell them you want to know who is calling because it is your right to know and that way you can report them to the FTC, Police etc. Once you give notice for them not to call, they are breaking the law if they do so you ned to know there first and last name.

If they sue you, file for bankruptct !!! There are online companies that offer credit counseling, this is required before you file for bankruptcy.

Also, is they threaten to sue, look up the attorneys name on your State Bar Association website. They offer a search option to look up Attorneys licensed to practice law in your state. Verify that person has a license to practice law in your state.

Good Luck to all and protect yourself with these tips!!

Letters and phone calls threatening to sue might be considered harassment. Excessive phone calls can also be considered harrassment. Start off by sending them a "Cease and Desist all Phone Calls" letter and state your phone number. The the calls continue, give then and second, third and even fourth notice to "Cease and Desist all calls. This will help you gain proof they they are harassing you. Send your letters certified or get a proof of mailing (about $1.00). I belive it is against the law for them to claim you owe money when you do not, it might be a felony in some states, so have them validate the debt. Send a letter saying you only want to communicate via ground mail and that you want them to validate the debt. This will buy you time in most cases. Some Collection agencies send out mass mail and they might not even have a right to collect on your debt. You can tell them that if they continue to bother you via phone, you will contact the FTC. I believe you also have a right to ask a caller/Collector there first and last name, if they refuse to say, tell them you want to know who is calling because it is your right to know and that way you can report them to the FTC, Police etc, if they are violating the law. Once you give notice for them not to call, they are breaking the law if they do so. So keep your notices for them not to call, the first, second, third one, etc.

If they sue you, file for bankruptct !!! There are online companies that offer credit counseling, this is required before you file for bankruptcy. I found one for $100.00

If they sue, look up the attorney name on your State Bar Association website. They offer a search option to look up Attorneys licensed to practice law in your state. Verify that person has a license to practice law in your state but the other tips should prevent this. Especially if you tell them to validate the debt and they fail to. If they sue and you do not owe the debt speciafically to them, they are very likely violating the law and it might be considered a felony, so have them validate the debt first.

Good Luck to all and protect yourself with these tips!!

I got in touch with mann bracken lawyer MR dashaun davis he said he said they would settle for $600 and I could pay $50 a month I said I could pay between $2 and 300 he said no I told him I was on ssi and ss about $600 a month I have muscler dysphepy he said only other thing is go to court (wich is tommorrow) and see what they say.pleas help. thanks mike

I called encore which bought my bill from home depot I told them about talking to mann bracken to make a settle . i explaine to them about my disablty and only getting about $600 amonth and $500 for my mortage they said i need to talk to mann bracken I said I did they won`t help me then the man said maybe the judge will help. man they are the worse kind of people. I would be thankfull for any kind of help. mike

Can MB in Alabama garish a couples wages and put a lien on their primary residence for $50,000

Hi Mike,

Yes, I would have to say, you *are* better off working through the courts.

Guest,

Yes, with a judgment they can garnish your wages and put a lien on your house. $50,000? You should file bankruptcy!

I got a letter from Mann bracken informing me that Discover Card (where I owe Monies and keep un incresing because of high interest reates) that they are retained by Discover to collect the debt.

I called them on May 16 or May 18, 2009, The telephone # is 800- 678-7720. A female person answered. I asked for Atty Mann Bracken, She answered she is Atty Bracken. I tried to negotiate to pay off less amount to be considered as full payment. She have me on hold. for a few minutes, she told me if I can pay $5,800 and it will be consider as full payment but it is still subject to approval of Discover card.

I told her that I can't afford that but I,ll try to borrow money from my children @5,000.00 and the balance in 8 equal monthly payment of $100.

She said no. And that if I can't paymy account I will sued for judgment and they will my social security monthly retirement pension be garnished. and they will my mobile home in a senior citizen park.

My blood pressure was elevated and I can't sleep that night.
I was scared.

Finally my husband to pay the $5,000.00 which means we
have to cut off our basic needs and medical treatment.

We sent the sheck by certified return receipt. Mail it on 05/27/2009 and they received it on 05/29/2009.

Now they are claiming that they haven't received anything fromme. They even advice me to place a stop payment on the check. I told them I will not make a stop payment. As far as I am concerned they received that check.

Thanks
MBM
Santa Rosa, CA

I got a letter from Mann bracken informing me that Discover Card (where I owe Monies and keep un incresing because of high interest reates) that they are retained by Discover to collect the debt.

I called them on May 16 or May 18, 2009, The telephone # is 800- 678-7720. A female person answered. I asked for Atty Mann Bracken, She answered she is Atty Bracken. I tried to negotiate to pay off less amount to be considered as full payment. She have me on hold. for a few minutes, she told me if I can pay $5,800 and it will be consider as full payment but it is still subject to approval of Discover card.

I told her that I can't afford that but I,ll try to borrow money from my children @5,000.00 and the balance in 8 equal monthly payment of $100.

She said no. And that if I can't paymy account I will sued for judgment and they will my social security monthly retirement pension be garnished. and they will my mobile home in a senior citizen park.

My blood pressure was elevated and I can't sleep that night.
I was scared.

Finally my husband to pay the $5,000.00 which means we
have to cut off our basic needs and medical treatment.

We sent the sheck by certified return receipt. Mail it on 05/27/2009 and they received it on 05/29/2009.

Now they are claiming that they haven't received anything fromme. They even advice me to place a stop payment on the check. I told them I will not make a stop payment. As far as I am concerned they received that check.

Thanks
MBM
Santa Rosa, CA

STOP PAYMENT ON THE CHECK!!! and don't send them another penny; they can't garnish your social security!

Go to National Association for Consumer Advocates for an attorney referral or call AARP (even if you are not a member).

I recieved a summon and they call me saying they are going to work something out and call me back, i a father of 2 a wife who is not working, cannot make my montly mortgage on time and finally my wife is not work, can they force me to make a payment montly even if i go to court. help!

You should of stuck with your debt settlement company. You would of paid a lot less and leave someone else with the headache of talking to Mann Efff-ing Bracken

Important to know Mann Bracken is very much a Law firm!

so?if they practice collections they must obey the FDCPA.they are a class action suit waiting to happen.

Not waiting - there are 2 already that I know of - "http://fivemilliondots.com/post/2009/05/26/Class-Action-Lawsuit-Against-Wolpoff-and-Abramson-LLP-in-Connecticut.aspx"
"http://fivemilliondots.com/post/2009/03/18/Midland-Funding-LLC-and-Mann-Bracken-LLP-face-Class-Action-Suit-in-Federal-Court.aspx"

AND they had at least one last year, too!
"http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS242435+22-Apr-2008+PRN20080422" (Interestingly enough, this one was filed by Hess Kennedy.)

The *hilarious* thing is that they are claiming they have negative assets!!!! Well if they acted like HUMANS perhaps they could turn a profit!!

That's not counting the 58 individual lawsuits against them for FDCPA violations so far this year (*86* since Jan 2007)!!!
"http://fivemilliondots.com/post/2009/06/18/Mann-Bracken-Named-Defendant-in-58th-Federal-Lawsuit-this-Year.aspx"

Somebody remind me again - what good is the FTC? What the heck are they waiting for? Doomsday? 86?! And no FTC suit *YET*?! grrrrrrrr.............

"http://fivemilliondots.com/post/2009/06/18/Its-a-Shame-When-Consumer-Lawyers-Says-the-FTC-is-Useless-When-it-comes-to-Debt-Collectors.aspx"

Seems to be true.... Color me disgusted...

I RECEIVED PAPER LAST NIGHT, I CALL THE TOLL FREE NO, 1-877-275-8878, THE NEXT DAY AND GOT A COLLECTION AGENTY, AND BOY DID SHE GET UGLY WITH ME, I THANK GOD THAT MY GRAND DAUGHTER WAS STANDIN IN THE ROOM, IT HELPED ME STAY CALM. THE LADY NAME IS OR SHE SAID THAT HER NAME IS SHUN MACBY, THE ONLY THING I WAS TRYING TO DO WAS TO GET THE COURT DATE CHANGED, SHE SAID THAT I COULDN'T I WANTED TO AKNW HOW OFTEN DO I GET PAID AND HOW MUCH CAN I PAY, SHE TOLD ME THAT THE LEAST I COULD PAY WAS 2,929.75. I TOLD HER THAT WAS NOT IN MY BUDGET, SHE GOT PERSONAL THEN. I TOLD HER AGAIN THAT I ONLY WANTED TO CHANG THE DATE, SHE ASKED WHY, I TOLD HER I WOULD BE ON VACATION, SHE GOT PERSONAL AGAIN, I TOLD HER THAT SHE DO NOT KNOW MY STORY ON HOW I WAS BLESSED WITH THIS TRIP. I LOOKED UP THIS MAN'S NAME ON THE WEB, AND FOUND OPUT ALL THE REMARKS AND COMMENTS, IT IS A RELIEF, AND I YET WANT TO GET RID OF THIS DEPTH BUT NOT THRU THEM,SOMEONE PLEASE REPLY!!

My husband has received a Notice of Intent to Sue from Mann Bracken recently this month. In this letter it says that if he wants to avoid the time and expense of litigation they invite him to call the office and that they hope he takes advantage of this opportunity to avoid the consequences of court proceedings. They also state that if he has an income tax refund, perhaps he can use the proceeds from that to pay the account.
A little back history here. We had a Jeep Liberty with only a year left to pay on it with Chrysler Financial. Because we were in danger of losing our house we decided to listen to a debt settlement company *(like idiots) and stop paying our credit card bills. (That was no good as we have already felt the intense strain of a $500 every two week garnishment on his paycheck a few months ago.) We also ended up being 3 months late on the vehicle. Feeling the pressure of needing to do something and feeling like we had no other options since we had already exhausted all the extensions Chrysler was willing to give to us, we followed the poor advice of someone we knew and returned the vehicle. (This was our most reliable vehicle) Many months later Chrysler sent us a notice that the vehicle was sold and we owed roughly about $5000 to them for the difference. We had planned to send them a little money every month until we could afford a higher payment amount, however we were never able to. We pretty much live paycheck to paycheck right now and our every day bills are finally getting paid on time. We try to skimp here and there on things but it doesn't always work since my business is an in home daycare. Our income is also unpredictable. We have no savings and I'm worried another garnishment will put my husband in the unemployment line with a sorry no help for you sir. Can anyone help us figure out what we can do with these people? In their letter they state that we owe $6194.15. We don't have that and I can't finagle any high amount out of our monthly budget to even come close to that. We already have two car payments now. One has about 18 months left on it and the other is a second chance auto loan which we need to keep because it's my husband's only reliable transportation to and from work. Please if anyone can help it would be great.

Terry,

I hate to say it but that was a very poor move on your part. Stating that you are on vacation will make them slobber with joy and that statement will most likely be used against you in court.

You have to ask the COURT to get the court date changed (you can file for an extension).

(By the way, since it appears that you are new to the Internet, all caps is considered bad manners and the equivalent of getting in someone's face and shouting at them.)


Billysgirrrrl,

Quote:

The only problem with filing for bankruptcy is that my husband has already filed and doesn't want to do it again. He seems to think that us struggling to somehow make it is much better than the "embarrassment" of going to court for bankruptcy. I'm not even sure that we would qualify. I'm going to try to contact an attorney today to see what our options are though.

That's a great idea.

Even if they take you to court, you have more power to negotiate an equitable payment arrangement that the creditor may have to accept, which will 1) save you from having a judgment, and 2) enable you to pay them at a rate you can afford. So another choice (admittedly a bit risky) is to tell them to go ahead and sue or leave you alone. See "Negotiating A Settlement Agreement in Court" in the following link:
"http://www.nedap.org/hotline/settle.html"

How much debt do you have? An attorney will likely also suggest bankruptcy depending on the amount. You are in a very bad financial situation and unless your finances get an injection of cash, you will continue to struggle and it will take a toll on you both. Squeezing out every last penny is very nerve racking.

I'd say maybe we have less than $20,000 between the two of us. Generally the ones with the higher amounts are in his name, but we incurred them together. I can definitely say I had a hand in helping create the debt. I have this one credit card company who wants me to pay half the balance on the card and then they will open another card for me with the remaining balance on it so I can have a credit card. To be honest I don't want any more cards. I know that to reestablish our credit we will need one at some point but right now I just don't want it. I want to be able to sleep at night. Right now I can't.

First off I want to think everyones help for getting me through this ordeal. I showed up for court just before court a laywer from mann bracken talked to me he wanted to see if we could settle it out of court . I told him I was disable and only made $600 a month most of that went to my mortage . and that I had proof that I was disable also that my friends and reletives would help me with $300 if they would take it and close the case. he said since i couldn`t afford any payments and that he didn`t see how I was makeing it . he would tell the judge that he would dismiss it . he filled out a form put dismiss on it made me a copy of it and told me to go on home . a few days later I got a form filled out and docket saying it was dismissed. now if we can do something about our local goverment takeing away our rights saying what we can and can`t do on our own land that we own . thanks mike

Mike,

Sometimes it's easier to negotiate a settlement in a courtroom setting because when the CA calls you, you are only a voice, a telephone number, a social security #, and a debtor. When you appear in court, you are a human being and they must meet you face to face.

I am glad this worked out for you and I hope you are able to take care of things and move on with your life.

Billygrrrrl,

Hmm, yes I can see why it is difficult to make a decision in this matter. On the one hand, your debt is relatively low so another bankruptcy does seem a bit drastic. On the other hand, you are going through quite a struggle as it is. It is so unfortunate that you stopped paying the bills because of the DS company, it's a large part of why I (and many others) are so upset at them. It really makes it difficult for you and removes one of your best options: a Debt Management (also called Debt Negotiation) plan. Now that you are back to a payment schedule (and you are fortunate in that, many are not able to get back on track at all and are forced to file bankruptcy anyway), attempt a Debt Management plan. Click on "Do It Yourself" above for more details. The credit card companies call it a Hardship Plan. Explain why you had fallen behind, let them know of your struggle and your desire to do the responsible thing. In a DM plan, they lower your interest rate so your payments become more productive to the principle.

Man Bracken, on the other hand, is a huge problem. It seems that they may have paid off a bunch of politicians. They are being sued for FDCPA violations left and right (see Mann Bracken post by me) and the only reason I can see that these monsters are still allowed to continue their nefarious practices is that they have paid off some powerful politicians. (Sorry if that appears cynical, if you read the post you will see why I said it.) They will likely not be interested in working with you because they are emboldened by the utter disregard for debtors that the FTC has displayed in this case. It's really sad to me personally because they have been so helpful in protecting the rights of ordinary Americans, but this is a major goof up. Perhaps if they didn't go on their crusade against Whole Paycheck - oops, I mean Whole Foods - then they would have the resources to shut Man Bracken down.

ANYWAY, write them a letter detailing your situation and setting down the terms you can afford. Be firm but polite. I don't know how detailed your budget is, but there is a great one in the MyDebts section above (if you do not wish to be contacted then do not put your phone number down). See how much you can squeeze out to them. Let them know that this is all you can afford one way or another. Even if they forced you to go to court, this is all you can afford. Period. And say that when the court sees your situation, they will likely agree. Just in case they do decide to take you to court anyway, all is not lost because oddly enough you may have more negotiating power for a settlement, even with an equitable payment arrangement. In other words, they'll have to accept your offer one way or another. The court will not force you to stop paying your other bills or starve.

I hope things work out for you to your benefit and you are able to take care of these things which cause such a strain in a relationship. Take it as a life lesson to never get credit again (unless usury caps are put in place), it is not worth the price.

Well, speaking of the FTC, they have a new head of the Consumer Protection Dept. This guy has impressive credentials and I most certainly do not envy him in his job - it is a monumental task - but I hope he gets cracking against the most egregious of the offenders.

I have payments set up on my account to be taken out at the same time every mo. They took out 2 payments on the same day, this caused my account to be overdrawn. I got the bank to stop payment on the second payment but i am still left with the overdraft fee.
I contacted Mann Bracken and they are giving me the run around on this matter. All I want is the overdraft fee back due to their mistake not mine. I have complied to making the payment every month, what eles can be done on this matter. Is this a breach of contract, what else can i do.

I to got a letter and they say they have filed arbitration and a judgement against me. can they do that? And exactly what does all that mean . Any answers will be helpful. Thanks

bjk,
Good luck with that, they do that often and you'll basically have to sue them to get anywhere.

briana,

They can't just "file a judgment", they have to take you to court or arbitration where you will get a chance to defend yourself. However, try and avoid arbitration if at all possible - it is slanted towards the creditors.

The paper will tell you where and when it is scheduled and contact info to get more info about the process.

I just got a letter from Mann Bracken, and I'm freaking out...They are trying to collect a debt that I haven't made payments over 4 yrs. Not that I didn't mean to pay, "life" got in the way, husband lost job, health issues and all that fun stuff. I did have a payment arrangement with the original collection agency, but when "life" got in the way, they weren't willing to work with me. We're finally getting back on track, slowly but surely, but this letter is throwing me off completely....I'm scared. Can anybody help me?

Mann Bracken sent me 2nd arbitration letter to me and I forward to EFA processing right the way. Mann offer me a settlement for 6 payments and if i take this settlement offer, will i get sue for the arbitration? Mann Bracken really scare peoples!!!!!!

Even though I have been paying them 25.00 a week (I am unemployed) and they have been cashing my checks, they sent a sheriff to my home to serve me with papers. Help what can I do?????? I live in Pennsylvannia.

Here is a site detailing the court process:
"http://www.nedap.org/hotline/court.html"
It's for New York and may vary in some details.

Make sure you appear in court. If you can't afford an attorney, inquire with your local court about Legal Aid. You will have a chance to work out a payment arrangement before the actual court date, which may protect you from getting an actual judgement.

I've had an encounter of the worst kind with these goons when it was Wolpoff and Abramson. I got a letter one day stating about a debt I had owed former MBNA. I sent them a check for $30.00, that's all I could do per month; the check was sent back to me. I later got a windfall after my father had passed away; the debt was settled for a compromised amount, and my credit once again is very good. Not exactly picture perfect, but I'm getting there.

The above company is violating the law with 808 unfair practice and tells people like their customer service reps that their debt is in bankuptcy even if it is not and that they do not have to obey the fair debt practices collection act of 1996 number 808 unfair practice...The did me wrong with three Capitol One accounts roz

The above company is violating the law with 808 unfair practice and tells people like their customer service reps that their debt is in bankuptcy even if it is not and that they do not have to obey the fair debt practices collection act of 1996 number 808 unfair practice...The did me wrong with three Capitol One accounts roz

The above company is violating the law with 808 unfair practice and tells people like their customer service reps that their debt is in bankuptcy even if it is not and that they do not have to obey the fair debt practices collection act of 1996 number 808 unfair practice...The did me wrong with three Capitol One accounts roz

I have had it with these collectors. Had it with the threats, had it with the intimidation. Just last week I had made it clear that I would no longer authorize EFT from my account from ANY creditor. The days of paying these fools with access to my account are over. I received a call today from Mann Bracken. From the get go I let him know that I was not accepting any "arrangement" that required the release of my checking account. I asked for a payment address... And guess what! They gave me one! I will be paying $100 a month. To this address:

Mann Bracken
9930 Kincey Ave.
Floor No. 3
Huntersville, NC 28078

I am sending out EFT revocation letters to any and all debt collectors I have had. Yes I have many, but the bottom line is this. No more access to my checking account. They are required to provide an address, if they don't to bad. If they continue to take funds out of my account, it will be regarded as fraud. Now how to put this into a EFT Revocation letter... Anyone have suggestions?

What a joke!!!! I made arrrangements to settle for two debts my husband and I owed. The very next day, they were calling me again. I called my contact who said everything was taken care of and to disregard the calls. The calls stopped for a while. The next thing I know they're calling me again. I answered the phone because I recognized the number. They asked me how much money I could give them today and told them absolutely nothing because I had settled with them. The lady then told me that they had received a payment, but the balance was still due. I argued with her for a while....Don't they make notes on the files? Don't they know what their other branches are doing? Obviously not!!! I told her that I would call the contact I'd been dealing with to get this straightened out. When I called him, I basically played dumb and asked him if he'd received our payments and if the debt had been paid according to the terms we agreed on. He said yes everything was in order. Then I told him I had received the phone call. He said not to worry (yeah, right) that I would receive a settlement letter via fax by Monday. Guess what? They're calling me again. My court date is tomorrow, so I called my contact back again and told him I needed something in writing NOW. I have called the court and our cases are still on the docket. He said I will get something today.

We'll see what happens with that!!! I am going to have my husband go to court tomorrow regardless. My contact at Mann Bracken said this wasn't necessary, but why take chances??? If they try to get us to sign anything, that's out of the question. I'll take it to a judge if I have to.

They don't know what they're doing and it scares me.

Just remember if you have to deal with this company, get names, extensions, letters or whatever else you can to back up ANY agreements made with them.

In my state, for those of you that don't know this, when you go to court for a civil suit, you don't even see a judge. You're there with 150 other people. The lawyers appear and start calling out the names they have on their list and talk to each one. THERE IS NO JUDGE IN THE COURTROOM!!!! I was afraid what would happen when I got the summons. Who knew they wouldn't arrest me right there???

So many people are going through this same process. I was amazed at how many were in court when I appeared on another issue.

Hopefully this will help someone.....Sorry to be so long winded, but what a story!!! We'll see how it ends tomorrow.

Mann Bracken can f off! They are rude and don't give a shit about you and your family. They froze my bank account on a debt that was 7 years old but at the time i accurred the debt I was single. The past 6 years I've been married and had two boys. So with that debt in the back of my mind I was trying to take care of my family and put food on the table. When they froze my bank account the next day my parents helped me out and we paid them their money. They had their money the next day after freezing my account via western union. I had to go three weeks with out use of my checking account. After calling everyday and not getting any straight forward answers of why my account had not been unfrozen. I ended up having to call the judge's secretary and they finally got my bank account unfrozen. Mann Bracken is very very rude and I think that anybody who works for them and has family should quit and tell them to f off! They should not be allowed to put kids at risk of going hungry because of their parents mistakes.

Mann Bracken calls my home for someone that doesn't live here. What is their problem?

Go to State Attorney of NY Cuomo's web page to see the class action filed in supreme court against these fools, and others.

I don't think they can garnish anything, they are not the original lenders.

I don't think they can garnish anything, they are not the original lenders.