HOW DO I GARNISH A UNION TRADESMAN?

Question

Hope someone familiar with Unions can help with this question.  I have a former tenant, a union plumber, who owes a debt. He's a member of a union, but I don't think that's his employer, just a sort of "referral agency" to plumbing jobs.

Can I serve a wage garnishment order for him directly on the Union office, or would I need to serve it on his employer?  If the latter, I can imagine it might be tricky getting the union to disclose the name of the plumber's employer, just so I can serve a wage garnishment.  Yeah, right!  :(

Bill Gulley · Answer

Unless you get a court order for disclosure, the union isn't really in the loop unless they are paying him, the union is more of a creditor collecting dues.

You need to do some phone calls, call plumbing companies and ask if he's there, if they say "who?" "Never heard of him" that's not your company. If you get "Oh, he's no in right now, can I take a message" you have your employer.

Need to notify banks in the area with an inquiry as to any open account with your judgment, a copy will generally get a response. If there are funds then you can zap an account but state laws will apply as to amounts and methods.

If you're in the area, I just got in my spy-mobile and tailed the guy to work.

When I was in Army Aviation, I located a car I had to get back by having pilots fly a search pattern over a rural area as training, they found the car and they guy couldn't believe I found him. Sometime you need to get creative to out smart a deadbeat or crook. :)

Ed B. · Answer

Matt, I might have to use a private investigator. I don't have a W-2 because I never asked for one. Yeah, I know, careless on my part. Incidentally, it was only his wife who applied. I never met the husband until they were about to move in. He was a grumpy a**hole right from the beginning, and I should have turned them all away, but I needed a tenant so I let it slide.  Nine months later they moved out owing rent, and of course left the place a mess. Plumber. Weekend "pastor."  Dirtbag.

Ed B. · Answer

thanks, Bill. I actually have his bank account, but the tricky thing with that is unless there's enough money in it when the bank levy hits, I could get little to nothing. Once he finds out about the levy, he'll likely close that account--if he hasn't already. There's definitely an art to collecting these deabeats. I loved your story about tracking down the guy by having pilots fly over until they got him. Good for you!  BTW, this plumber, former tenant  who owes me,  is also a pastor at a church. Sadly, he is not the  first pastor I've had to chase for money I've owed.  Thanks, Colleen, I think you're right. The Union is mostly a referral agency, not a direct employer.

Matt Swearingen · Answer

If the debt is large enough it might be worth hiring a private investigator.  It shouldn't cost more that $50-$100 to get the employer's name and address. If he was your tenant don't you have a W2 for him?

Colleen F. · Answer

What about  a state license number?  you can usually get those online and search for them. The union won't  assist  even if he were working out of the union hall (I don't know can you still work out of a union hall?) used to be the way they staffed up jobs short term you took the next available guys at the union hall. Even then you were still working for the company not the union

HOW DO I GARNISH A UNION TRADESMAN?

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