If a debt collector tries to take money from your bank account, the bank may freeze your funds. This means you cannot use the money until the court decides what happens.

If a judgment was entered against you after January 1, 2020, $1,000 of the money in your checking or savings accounts should be automatically protected until the court hearing for the post-judgment citation.

Here is what you can do:

• Find out what happened: Contact your bank to ask why your account is frozen and which creditor requested it.
• Check your court papers: If you received a Citation to Discover Assets to Debtor’s Bank, a creditor is trying to take money from your account.
• File an Emergency Motion to Claim Exemptions: This asks the court to release money that is protected by law. Protected money may include:
  • Social Security benefits,
  • Veterans’ benefits,
  • Child support or alimony, and
  • Other protected income or property.

You can also use the wildcard exemption to protect up to $4,000 in your bank account. 

👉Learn more about filing an emergency motion to protect your exempt property.