Iowa Collection Laws

A collection agent or law firm that owns a collection account is a creditor. A creditor has several legal means of collecting a debt. But before the creditor can start, the creditor must go to court to receive a judgment. See the Bills.com resource Served Summons and Complaint to learn more about this process.

The court may decide to grant a judgment to the creditor. A judgment is a declaration by a court that the creditor has the legal right to demand a wage garnishment, a levy on the debtor’s bank accounts, and a lien on the debtor’s property. A creditor that is granted a judgment is called a "judgment-creditor." Which of these tools the creditor will use depends on the circumstances. We discuss each of these remedies below.

Iowa Wage Garnishment

The most common method used by judgment-creditors to enforce judgments is wage garnishment, in which a judgment creditor would contact the debtor’s employer and require the employer to deduct a certain portion of the debtor's wages each pay period and send the money to the creditor. However, several states, including Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and South Carolina, do not allow wage garnishment for the enforcement of most judgments. In several other states, such as New Hampshire, wage garnishment is not the "preferred" method of judgment enforcement because, although possible, it is a tedious and time consuming process for creditors.

In most states, creditors are allowed to garnish between 10% and 25% of your wages, with the percentage allowed being determined by each state.

Garnishment of Social Security benefits or pensions for consumer debt is not allowed under Iowa or federal law. (Iowa Title XV Subtitle 3 Chapter 627.6(8), 627.8, 97A.12, 411.13, 410.11) Garnishment may be allowed for child support. (Iowa Code sections 410.11, 97A.12, 411.13)

In Iowa, wage garnishment is allowed under Iowa Title XV Subtitle 5 Chapter 642, 537.5105 and federal law 15 U.S.C. 1673(a). If the judgment-creditor is aware of the debtor's place of employment, it may seek wage garnishment. Under federal law, the garnishment applies to 25% of the debtor's net take home pay, (i.e. gross pay less statutorily mandated deductions). Garnishment can occur only after the person being garnished has received a 10-day’s notice.

However, under Iowa 642.21, the maximum amount of employee’s earnings that may be garnished during one calendar year is $250 for each judgment creditor (regardless of the number of judgments) except as provided in 252D and 598.22, 598.23, and 627.12 (involve collecting delinquent court-ordered support, which are not subject to annual restrictions), or if earnings are greater than $12,000 for the calendar year, or if the garnishment is for a tax lien:

• $12,000-$15,999: $400 garnished
• $16,000-$23,999: $800
• $24,000-$34,999: $1500
• $35,000-$49,999: $2000
• $50,000 or more: Not more than 10% of earnings

If you reside in another state, see the Bills.com Wage Garnishment article to learn more.

Iowa Bank Account Levy

A levy means that the creditor has the right to take whatever money in a debtor’s account and apply the funds to the balance of the judgment. Again, the procedure for levying bank accounts, as well as what amount, if any, a debtor can claim as exempt from the levy, is governed by state law. Many states exempt certain amounts and certain types of funds from bank levies, so a debtor should review his or her state’s laws to find if a bank account can be levied. In some states levy is called attachment or account garnishment. The names may vary but the concept is the same.

Levy is allowed under Iowa Title XV Subtitle 3 Chapter 626, and specifically 626.22, 626.24, and 626.50. General exemptions for bankruptcy, garnishment, attachment, and execution can be found in Chapter 627. Under section 522(n) the maximum aggregate value of assets in individual retirement accounts that is exempted is $1,095,000 ($1,171,650 after April 1, 2010).

If you reside in another state, see the Bills.com Account Levy resource to learn more about the general rules for this remedy.

Lien in Iowa

A lien is an encumbrance -- a claim -- on a property. For example, if the debtor owns a home, a creditor with a judgment has the right to place a lien on the home, meaning that if the debtor sells or refinance the home, the debtor will be required to pay the judgment out of the proceeds of the sale or refinance. If the amount of the judgment is more than the amount of equity in your home, then the lien may prevent the debtor from selling or refinancing until the debtor can pay off the judgment.

Under Iowa Code 648.1, “Lien; means a charge against or an interest in property to secure payment of a debt or performance of an obligation, and includes a security interest created by agreement, a judicial lien obtained by legal or equitable process or proceedings, a common-law lien, or a statutory lien.” Iowa allows judgment-creditors to place a lien on property, as per Iowa Code 626.33.

If you reside in another state, see the Bills.com Liens & How to Resolve Them article to learn more.

Statute of Limitations on Iowa Judgment

Each state has is own statute of limitations on judgments. Under Iowa Title XV Subtitle 3 Code 614, the Statute of limitations on federal or state judgments in Iowa is 20 years.

Iowa Payday Loan Law

Payday loans are legal in Iowa. It is not a crime to default on a payday loan. See the Iowa Attorney General’s office Informal Advisory # 87 dated February 18, 1999 (PDF) to learn how the attorney general views Iowa Title XIII Subtitle 3 Chapters 535 and 537.7103.

See the Bills.com Payday Loan Laws resource to learn more about payday loans in all states.

Recommendation

Consult with an Iowa attorney experienced in civil litigation to get precise answers to your questions about liens, levies, and garnishment in Iowa.

I hope this information helps you Find. Learn & Save.

Best,

Bill

Bills.com