If you or a loved one logged into your bank account today and found that your account was frozen, that may come as a disturbing surprise. In New York, a judgment creditor can freeze multiples of the amount of a judgment against you as a way to force you into paying the debt. Judgments are good for up to twenty years in New York. Extremely old debt can come back to bite you. You may not even know the obligation exists.
Your bank freezes your account once the judgment creditor has given the bank a restraining notice. When you contact your bank to inquire about the hold it will likely give you the name of your creditor and instruct you to call them. However, it is the creditor’s objective to squeeze as much money as it can out of you. After all, they are who froze your bank account, to begin with. We do not recommend calling them as they do not have your best interests in mind. There has been more than one occasion where service was made a young child for an obscure debt that ended up in the trash can instead of their parents’ hands. Over a decade passes, and one morning the judgment creditor’s attorney froze the bank account of those folks. This happens all over New York, with some variation of the scenario mentioned above. This is a special type of harassment that my office works hard to combat.
We are extremely helpful and useful in dealing with judgment creditors on behalf of our clients whose money has been frozen by judgment creditors. We work quickly, diligently, and effectively at getting your money unfrozen. My office also works on your behalf with the creditors to reduce any money you may owe and making sure if you do not owe the money that we fight hard to make sure that your rights and money are protected from these predatory practices.
After reviewing the levy or freeze on your account and the accompanying paperwork from the creditor and court, our office can determine whether the judgment is valid, whether service was good, and whether we can attack the judgment on those or other grounds.
You are encouraged, and welcomed, to call our office for a free consultation today.