Simple English definitions for legal terms
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A garnisher is someone who tries to get money from a person who owes them by asking a third party (called the garnishee) to give them money or property that belongs to the person who owes them.
Definition: A garnisher is a creditor who takes legal action to collect a debt by seizing property or money that is owed to the debtor by a third party, known as the garnishee. The garnisher initiates a garnishment action to reach the debtor's property that is thought to be held or owed by the garnishee. The term can also be spelled as garnishor.
Example 1: John owes $5,000 to ABC Bank. The bank files a lawsuit against John and obtains a court order to garnish his wages. The bank then sends a notice to John's employer, who is the garnishee, to withhold a portion of John's paycheck and send it directly to the bank until the debt is paid off.
Example 2: Mary owes $10,000 to XYZ Credit Card Company. The company files a lawsuit against Mary and obtains a court order to garnish her bank account. The bank, which is the garnishee, freezes Mary's account and sends the money to the credit card company until the debt is paid off.
These examples illustrate how a garnisher can use legal means to collect a debt by seizing property or money that is owed to the debtor by a third party. In both cases, the garnisher obtained a court order to garnish the wages or bank account of the debtor, and the garnishee was required to comply with the court order by withholding or freezing the debtor's property or money.