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Summary of differences between federal and state regulations
The state of Mississippi has several statutes addressing garnishment of wages.
State
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Questions regarding a wage garnishment order should be directed to the court which issued the order.
Regulations
Liens
Mississippi Code, Title 85, Chapter 007
Miss. Code Ann. § 11-35-24. Multiple garnishments
(1) Where more than one garnishment has been issued against an employee of a garnishee, such garnishee shall comply with the garnishment with which he was first served. In the event more than one (1) garnishment on an employee is received on the same day, the writ of garnishment which is the smallest amount shall be satisfied first. However, in every case, garnishments issued pursuant to court ordered child support shall have first priority, even if previous garnishments are in effect or pending.
(2) Any such conflicting or subsequent garnishments on an employee of the garnishee shall be returned to the court issuing such writ of garnishment with a statement by the garnishee that a previous garnishment is in effect. Such statement shall operate as a stay of the subsequent garnishment until satisfaction of any prior garnishments has been made.
(3) Upon satisfaction of the writ of garnishment in progress, the garnishee shall immediately begin collection of such writ of garnishment with next priority.
(4) Good faith compliance with this section shall release the garnishee from any liability for failure of compliance with this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 93-11-111. Duties of payor; payments to obligee; fees.
(1) It shall be the duty of any payor who has been served with a copy of the order for withholding and an attached affidavit of accounting, a certified record of payments, or judgment for delinquency to deduct and pay over income as provided in this section. The payor shall deduct the amount designated in the order for withholding beginning with the next payment of income that is payable to the obligor after fourteen (14) days following service of the order and notice. The payor shall pay the amounts withheld to the department within seven (7) days of the date the obligor is paid in accordance with the order for withholding and in accordance with any later notification received redirecting payments. The department shall then forward those amounts to the obligee.
(2) For each intrastate withholding of income, the payor shall be entitled to receive a fee of Two Dollars ($2.00) to be withheld from the income of the obligor in addition to the support payments, regardless of the number of payments the payor makes to the department. However, in all interstate withholding, the rules and laws of the state where the obligor works shall determine the payor's processing fee.
(3) The payor shall, unless otherwise notified by the department, withhold from the income of the obligor and forward to the department each month, an amount specified by the department not to exceed Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) per month to defray the department's administrative costs incurred in receiving and distributing money withheld under Sections 93-11-101 through 93-11-119. The payor may pay such amount to the department in any manner determined by the payor to be convenient and may include that amount in checks to the department for amounts withheld pursuant to the order for withholding. This subsection (3) shall stand repealed on July 1, 2005.
(4) Regardless of the amount designated in the order for withholding and regardless of other fees imposed or amounts withheld under this section, the payor shall not deduct from the income of the obligor in excess of the amounts allowed under Section 303(b) of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, being 15 USCS 1673, as amended.
(5) A payor may combine all amounts that he is required to withhold and pay to the department in one (1) payment; however, the payor must send to the department a list showing the amount of the payment attributable to each obligor.
(6) Whenever the obligor is no longer receiving income from the payor, the payor shall return a copy of the order for withholding to the department and shall forward the obligor's last known address and name and address of the obligor's new employer, if known, to the department. The payor shall cooperate in providing further information for the purpose of enforcing Sections 93-11-101 through 93-11-119.
(7) Withholding of income under this section shall be made without regard to any prior or subsequent garnishments, attachments, wage assignments or any other claims of creditors. Payment as required by the order for withholding shall be a complete defense by the payor against any claims of the obligor or his creditors as to the sum so paid.
(8) In cases in which the payor has been served more than one (1) order for withholding for the same obligor, the payor shall honor the orders on a pro rata basis to result in withholding an amount for each order that is in direct proportion to the percentage of the obligor's adjusted gross income that the order represents, and the payor shall honor all those withholdings to the extent that the total amount withheld does not exceed the maximum amount specified in subsection (1) of this section.
(9) No payor shall discharge, discipline, refuse to hire or otherwise penalize any obligor because of the duty to withhold income.
Miss. Code Ann. § 93-11-117. Penalties.
(1) In cases in which a payor willfully fails to withhold or pay over income pursuant to a valid order for withholding, the following penalties shall apply.
(1)(a) The payor shall be liable for a civil penalty of not more than:
(1)(a)(i) One Hundred Dollars ($100.00); or
(1)(a)(ii) Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) in an instance where the failure to comply is the result of collusion between the payor and the obligor; and
(1)(b) The court, upon due notice and hearing, shall enter judgment and direct the issuance of an execution for the total amount that the payor willfully failed to withhold or pay over.
(2) In cases in which a payor discharges, disciplines, refuses to hire or otherwise penalizes an obligor as prohibited by subsection (9) of Section 93-11-111, the court, upon due notice and hearing, shall fine the payor in an amount not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00).
(3) Any obligee, the department or obligor who willfully initiates a false proceeding under Sections 93-11-101 through 93-11-119 or who willfully fails to comply with the requirements of Sections 93-11-101 through 93-11-119 shall be punished as in cases of contempt of court.
Federal
Contact
www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/garnishments
Regulations
Federal law limits the amount of wages that can be garnished, in most cases, to 25 percent of weekly earnings after taxes. If more that one garnishment order exists against an individual, the total amount cannot exceed the maximum set by law. Some government obligations, such as back taxes and child support, always have precedence.