Garnishee orders go on forever
Man still paying 16 years later
Thabani Zwane of Brakpan, Ekurhuleni, has been a victim of garnishee order abuse and exploitation since 2001.
Zwane, a senior process controller at Impala Platinum Mines in Springs, claims his company said they could not do anything to stop the abuse until they got a letter from the debt collectors ordering them to stop. Zwane, 43, said he has paid over R52000 for three debts, two of which he knows nothing about.
He said his misery started in 2001 when he approached, a debt consultant at DebtHelp-U, who offered to help him with the administration of his debts. He said the consultant successfully obtained an administration order to dock R100 from his salary for a debt of R13 000. “It’s been 16 years and this debt is not going anywhere,” he said.
Zwane, a father of four, said he went to Rademan’s offices which were located at 367 Prince George Street, Brakpan, and found that they had moved.
His second garnishee order was instituted by Netstar’s attorney, Le Roux, for a debt of R723, though he had no contract signed with the tracking company.
He said this debt was imposed on him after he bought a Toyota minibus from a private seller some years ago.
In the sale agreement there was no mention of a tracking device in the car and he got a surprise letter via his employer’s mailbox stating that he was indebted to Netstar in Limpopo.
Netstar have since debited R24 000 for an imposed debt.
“Lastly, Booysen & Company Incorporated. I don’t have their details whatsoever and I don’t even know what I am paying for,” Zwane said. This firm has been debiting R500 from his salary since August 2008.
Impala Platinum Mines’s paymaster said they would investigate Zwane’s matter.
We could not locate DebtHelp-U, but the office of Credit Ombuds offered to assist to trace them.
Jenita Suknunun of Altech Netstar said Netstar North, which imposed the debt on Zwane, was an ex-franchisee of Altech Netstar. Their relationship was terminated in 2009, she said.
Peredrine Smit of Booysen & Co Inc said Rademan was removed as an administrator in 2005. Smit said they are receiving R93 per month and there is still R3 956 balance. If your garnishee order has any of the following elements, please contact the Credit Ombud at 011-7816431 or fax your complaint to 086- 674-9678.
The service is free.
If you have been paying your garnishee order for ever and don’t know the balance. If your garnishee has been re-instated on your salary after you have paid it off.
If it is not ending because the monthly interest is higher than the instalment.
If it was fraudulently obtained and was not stamped by any court.
If the order is more than the permissible garnishee orders fees.
If you made payments to attorneys acting on behalf of judgment creditors but cannot locate payments made into their bank accounts.
If judgment creditors cannot be traced because they have changed their contact details.
Consumer Line