Monday, June 21, 2010

Can You Get Sent to Jial for Bad Debts? Yes and here's how they do it

As if being in debt wasn't bad enough -- now big business has found a way to put you in jail as a way to punish you / collect.


Reports of mild-mannered Americans getting arrested for being in debt are starting to pop up in states across the country. All over the Net, we've been reading about these poor saps snatched off the street — right in front of their horrified children — by glowering cops and locked up just for missing a few credit card payments.

Debtor's prisons were outlawed in the US in 1833 ... so how can they do this?   Here's how.   They sue you, and under US law the defendant has to show up in court and disclose their earnings and assets.   If you fail to show up in court - you are in in contempt of court and the court usually files an order for your arrest.

The police don't go out of their way to round you up -- but woe to you if you get pulled over for a traffic ticket, etc.   If they see there's a warrant out on you - you can be picked up, and if there are several, you could be in big trouble.

Morale of the story -- if you get sued for bad debts, make sure you show up.

1 comment:

  1. So sorry, Contessa, but these facts are happened
    in the whole world, not only in USA.
    I regret ,that in our time , the people can make prison for big or small amount of debts.
    What can we do for improve the system ?

    ReplyDelete

Isabel Van Fechtmann

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