Eviction in Indiana

[Judy McQueen]

My son was evicted from an apartment in 2002 when he lost his job.  He just got a notice today (14 years later) that they were garnishing his wages.  Can they do that after such a long time??

[Kyle J.]

The statute of limitations on enforcing/collecting money judgments varies state to state.  In my state, for example, a judgment is good for 10 years, but it can also be renewed for another 10 years beyond that. 

I'm not an expert on Indiana law, but I found a case where it seems to have been ruled that a judgment could be enforced even beyond the 20 year mark.  Here's a link to that case if you care to read it: How Long Is Too Long To Wait Before Enforcing A Money Judgment In Indiana.

In any event, I'm guessing they may have just got around to finding out where he works.  He could try to work something out with them to satisfy the judgment, but they may not be willing to do that since they've already started garnishing his wages and it's just a matter of time before they get paid (unless, of course, he quits or something to avoid it).  But it sounds like he legitimately owes the money so he should probably just pay up.