My husband made $21k last year, the years before that were far less. The debt is about $10,000 on a repossessed car (18% interest, so it keeps going up.)
His wages were garnished in the past and will probably be again this year (between lay off from an old job to temp work and now mostly full time work again, I guess they've had difficulty tracking down where he works.) We had to move in with family because of the garnishment. If we continue living with this relative for another 4 years, the debt could eventually be paid but I'm not sure living here 4 more years is possible.
If we pay the debt we won't have the money for anything except rent/food/car insurance and the weeks that my husband is put on 32 hour weeks due to slow downs at work, not even that. If not for the 32 hour work weeks, we'd be able to "make it" assuming we can continue living here. But with those 32 hour work weeks there is no way we can afford living expenses.
With that being said, when the judge looks at how much he makes (my husband works, I am unable to due to medical reasons), will any of this matter or does he look at median income? Or what he makes minus the bills and then what is left over? Will he even see that my husband sometimes gets 32 hour work weeks, meaning not enough money to pay our bills?
I've been paranoid at the possibility the debt would never be paid off, because in 2008/09 his wages were garnished when he was making about $12k/year, which is the reason we had to move in with a relative. We weren't even paying down the interest back then, the total debt never went down a cent during that year of garnishment.
This has all been my fault. I suffered a medical "thing" (something I don't care to describe) and lost my job in addition to my husband being laid off during the same time. We lost the car because rent seemed more important back then. This has been an ongoing burden since 2006, when the car was originally repossessed. The always hovering wage garnishment, having to live in one bedroom for the last 3 years (not A one bedroom, I mean one bedroom.) We are slowly going mad and our marriage has suffered. Bankruptcy seems to be the only thing giving us hope and now I'm not even sure that will be possible, depending on how his income vs bills/rent is looked at.
Thanks for reading and for the advice, if you have any. We plan on hiring a lawyer after he receives his tax refund. Silly but we are even having to wait to buy a stupid printer to print out statements and forms, etc. In the meantime peace of mind would be grateful.
His wages were garnished in the past and will probably be again this year (between lay off from an old job to temp work and now mostly full time work again, I guess they've had difficulty tracking down where he works.) We had to move in with family because of the garnishment. If we continue living with this relative for another 4 years, the debt could eventually be paid but I'm not sure living here 4 more years is possible.
If we pay the debt we won't have the money for anything except rent/food/car insurance and the weeks that my husband is put on 32 hour weeks due to slow downs at work, not even that. If not for the 32 hour work weeks, we'd be able to "make it" assuming we can continue living here. But with those 32 hour work weeks there is no way we can afford living expenses.
With that being said, when the judge looks at how much he makes (my husband works, I am unable to due to medical reasons), will any of this matter or does he look at median income? Or what he makes minus the bills and then what is left over? Will he even see that my husband sometimes gets 32 hour work weeks, meaning not enough money to pay our bills?
I've been paranoid at the possibility the debt would never be paid off, because in 2008/09 his wages were garnished when he was making about $12k/year, which is the reason we had to move in with a relative. We weren't even paying down the interest back then, the total debt never went down a cent during that year of garnishment.
This has all been my fault. I suffered a medical "thing" (something I don't care to describe) and lost my job in addition to my husband being laid off during the same time. We lost the car because rent seemed more important back then. This has been an ongoing burden since 2006, when the car was originally repossessed. The always hovering wage garnishment, having to live in one bedroom for the last 3 years (not A one bedroom, I mean one bedroom.) We are slowly going mad and our marriage has suffered. Bankruptcy seems to be the only thing giving us hope and now I'm not even sure that will be possible, depending on how his income vs bills/rent is looked at.
Thanks for reading and for the advice, if you have any. We plan on hiring a lawyer after he receives his tax refund. Silly but we are even having to wait to buy a stupid printer to print out statements and forms, etc. In the meantime peace of mind would be grateful.
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