Moving to avoid a debt?

[BookstoreEscapee]

So I was chatting with a woman I used to work with, who knows my ex, and is Facebook friends with him. She said that by moving to Florida somehow it means that if he owes someone money he won't have to pay it. I don't know how that would be. Any ideas on that?

[Aethian]

Total lie.

[Jack T. Chance]

As far as I know, if he remains within the borders of the US, he still owes that debt. I suppose if he moved to a country that has no extradition treaty with the US, he could escape his debt. But that'd be an awful lot of trouble to go to just to weasel out of doing the right thing for a woman you used to claim you loved.

[Pedersen]

Maybe not total lie, but definite total misunderstanding. Depending on where he moves to, it can be extremely difficult to collect on that debt.

I had a friend who was a debt collector (wish I knew of a way to reach her, would be nice to hear from Nan again). She told me that the laws for collecting a debt from a Texan were so difficult at one point that, if someone moved there, collectors would put a note "Moved to Texas", and not bother with it afterwards.

Different states, different laws, different degrees of difficulty.

[Eric the Grey]

Sounds to me like they are just skipping town to avoid paying a personal debt. If it's with a company, they will most likely trace them down and send collectors after them.

If it's a loan shark, they'll send Guido and Nunzio after them.


Eric the Grey

[Amina516]

Only thing i can think of is filing the claim suit now while he's still in your state and then having a judgement rendered. Im assuming then, they can garnish wages and it will follow him no matter what if its attached to his SSN. I may be totally off tho. I thought thats how it worked.

[BookstoreEscapee]

The claim is already filed, in August. I filed when I found out he was moving. He didn't move until late September/early October, though. He was engaged; I think he might be married now (my friend wasn't sure). He wrote a response that was postmarked a day late (which he blamed me for, then proceeded to tell at least one demonstrable falsehood); I haven't heard from the court, though. I need to call Monday and check on it.

[Amina516]

The claim is already filed, in August. I filed when I found out he was moving. He didn't move until late September/early October, though. He was engaged; I think he might be married now (my friend wasn't sure). He wrote a response that was postmarked a day late (which he blamed me for, then proceeded to tell at least one demonstrable falsehood); I haven't heard from the court, though. I need to call Monday and check on it.

Sounds like youre on the ball. He'll have to show up or get a judgement against him, if im correct in my thinking (Thanks Judge Judy!).

I hope you get back whats yours!

[BookstoreEscapee]

I had a friend who was a debt collector (wish I knew of a way to reach her, would be nice to hear from Nan again). She told me that the laws for collecting a debt from a Texan were so difficult at one point that, if someone moved there, collectors would put a note "Moved to Texas", and not bother with it afterwards.

Different states, different laws, different degrees of difficulty.

Pretty sure that's what she really meant...that Florida's laws will make things more difficult. I filed the papers when he was still here, though.

My cousin wants his number so he can call and threaten him (or have someone call; he says he "knows people")...that's the last thing I need him telling a judge, should we end up actually going to court. Of course, by disputing the debt, he just makes it more likely that he will have to come back up here.

[tropicsgoddess]

I think ex doesn't know that he can run, but he can't hide. Believe me, these days you can find somebody pretty easy too. Can we say Google?

[BookstoreEscapee]

I think ex doesn't know that he can run, but he can't hide. Believe me, these days you can find somebody pretty easy too. Can we say Google?

Heh. Before he blocked me on Facebook I figured out where he's working. Superpages.com found me someone who I'm pretty sure is the fiance/wife (I knew her name from FB and I know the town he moved to, where she already lived). Not that I plan to contact her or anything; though I would be willing to bet she doesn't know he owes money. If she knows about it I'm sure she's been led to believe that I'm just a psycho vindictive ex. His response to the court said that we had an "amicable" relationship since we broke up (mostly because of the dog) and that changed when I found out he got engaged. Had more to do with the drastic change in his plans from what he told me a month earlier, and the vacation to Florida when he's just so broke. When I realized he was moving, and was able to confirm that, that's when I went to the court.

[strawbabies]

I think that 30 years ago, you could move to another state and escape creditors, but I don't think there's any way in heck that would work now.

[AccountingDrone]

If it's a loan shark, they'll send Guido and Nunzio after them.


Eric the Grey

Hm, I have plenty of garlic, so I am safe against Guido....

it is Tananda I would worry about

[Tanasi]

Except for child support and debts to national creditors it's really hard to enforce non-federal court orders from one state in another. Usually you have to go to the new state, probably hire a lawyer and then file suit to get said court order enforced and even then it's not guarnteed. Then what's to stop them from moving to another state and starting the whole process over?

Good luck.

[taxguykarl]

Florida once had a clause in its bankruptcy code which allowed a debtor to keep a residence regardless of its value--even a multi-million dollar mansion. That could be what your friend was thinking--of course that was back in the early '90's. The law could well have been amended by now--better check with an actual attorney. BTW, there is also to type of debt: Tax and child-support debts, for example, are exempt from bankruptcy. Remember, I'm not a lawyer and only know enough about law to be dangerous.