What Are The Most Common Reasons The State Of Maryland Would Sue Someone?
The State of Maryland has something called “Maryland Central Collections” and every department in the state with unpaid bills is supposed to refer them to Central Collections after a certain amount of time, and it is their job to collect those debts. Any money that is owed to the State of Maryland, such as student tuition, insurance lapse fines, restitution for criminal offenses, overpayments of unemployment, food stamps or other public assistance, restitution for home improvement cases or things like that are the types of debts that will be referred to Central Collections, which will then sue for that money.
These lawsuits happen quite often these days because the State of Maryland, like every other creditor, is struggling with income. They have a lot of unpaid bills on their hands, and they are definitely increasing their collection efforts by filing a lot more lawsuits to try to collect money.
How Does Someone Know They Are Being Sued By The State Of Maryland?
The person will be served with a summons, but instead of saying, “Citi Financial” or “Capital One” or “Sinai Hospital,” the plaintiff will be “State of Maryland.” Other than that, it will look like any other lawsuit, and they will get a notice of the suit by Certified Mail or through a process server, along with the statement of whatever the person owed attached to the complaint. There will be a date by which the person will have to respond if they want to contest it, as well as the date of the court hearing.
You don’t want to ignore this notice, because the State of Maryland will get a judgment against anyone who did so, and they will be able to garnish that person’s paycheck, and to do what is called a “TRIP,” or a “Tax Refund Intercept Program,” which is just what it sounds like; they can intercept the person’s tax refund until they paid the debt they owed the State of Maryland, which can put a crimp in some people plans to pay some bills. However, it doesn’t stop there; they can also hold up the person’s driver’s license or vehicle registration, which means they won’t be able to drive, which could limit that person’s ability to work and make money.
Would It Be Possible To Challenge It, And If So, Then How?
Just like any other creditor, the State of Maryland would simply have to prove the person owed the debt. If the person had a defense because the debt was paid or there was some mistake on the part of the State of Maryland, they could certainly go to court and contest the debt.
Anyone facing a State of Maryland debt collection lawsuit should not ignore it, because the state will have more power to collect than an ordinary creditor. Fortunately, bankruptcy law trumps Maryland law so there are protections and benefits for someone who filed a bankruptcy, so that they can fight back at the State of Maryland.
For more information on Getting Sued By The State Of Maryland, a free initial consultation is your best next step. Get the information and legal answers you’re seeking by calling 443-860-0088 today.
