Can Your Wages Be Garnished for Moving Out Early in the State of Pennsylvania?
When a person owes a debt to a creditor, be he a landlord or a lender, then the creditor has the right to seek repayment in court if the debt isn't paid back on time. When a person takes out a lease to rent a property, he agrees to pay the landlord a certain amount of money by a certain date. If you fail to do this by breaking the lease, then the landlord has the right to sue and potentially garnish your wages.
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Leases
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When a person rents a space, he is required to sign a lease with the landlord in which the terms of the lease are laid out and agreed to. Generally, these leases will specify when the lease must be paid. In most leases, the tenant is obligated to rent the space and continue payments on it for a set period of time. If he fails to do so without the landlord's permission, he is breaking the lease.
Breaking a Lease
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A lease is broken when a person chooses to discontinue payments on. For example, if you've moved out of an apartment earlier than you agreed to move out on your lease and stop making payments, without your landlord's permission, then this constitutes a broken lease. Under Pennsylvania law, when a lease is broken, the landlord has the right to sue for the collection of the unpaid portion of the lease.
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Garnishment
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In Pennsylvania, a garnishment can only be granted if the individual has been sued by the creditor -- in this case, the landlord -- and the judge has awarded the landlord a civil judgment. Even when this happens, the debtor tenant will be given a chance to pay the money that he owes on the rent. Only if he refuses can he face the garnishment of his wages.
Considerations
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A tenant can, in some circumstances, move out early without breaking his lease. For example, if you have secured the permission of your landlord and your landlord has agreed to amend the lease so that you are allowed to stop payments earlier, you can't be sued or have your wages garnished. In addition, if you have a legitimate reason for moving out -- the definition of which varies by district -- then you are also safe from a lawsuit.
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