Who can take money from your bank account without permission

Who can take money from your bank account without permission

Electronic checks eliminate the need for sending checks by mail.

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Guarding your bank account balance is harder and harder with the ease of automatic debits. Using an automatic debit transaction, the creditor does not need your signature or a physical check to access your money. Electronic transfers speed up the time to process your bill payments each month. However, creditors cannot withdraw from your bank account without authorization from the account holder -- with a couple of exceptions.

Authorization

Drafting from your bank account requires authorization from the account holder. According to the Federal Trade Commission, creditors must receive authorization in one of three ways: written authorization, taped phone call or sending written confirmation prior to the debit from your account. Failure to abide by these rules is a violation of law. You may request an immediate refund or seek remedy in federal court. You may also contact your state Attorney General’s office to report the unauthorized transaction. The AG’s office reviews your complaint and may be able to get your money back.

Bank Levies

Creditors may levy your bank account if they have a judgment from the courts. A judgment is notice from the court acknowledging you owe a debt. Your creditor locates your bank through a method known as skip tracing -- they call around looking for you. Once located, the creditor serves a writ of execution on the bank. At that point, the bank has no choice but to freeze your account balance and turn it over to the creditor. The creditor must follow state laws regarding the amount to be taken.

Internal Revenue Service

Owing Uncle Sam comes with a different set of rules. The IRS does not need written authorization or a judgment to access your bank account. According to the IRS, a bank levy may be obtained if you fail to respond to past-due tax notices. Always stay in contact when dealing with the IRS and past-due taxes. Uncle Sam does not go away without his payday.

Scams

Unscrupulous characters have taken advantage of the ease of payment using automatic bank drafts. Scam artists use telemarketing efforts on unsuspecting consumers to steal money. Many use free prizes or qualifying for a credit card as an excuse to get their hands on your checkbook. If you receive a phone call asking for your account numbers, be suspicious.

References

Writer Bio

Leigh Thompson began writing in 2007 and specializes in creating content for websites. She has been published online in various capacities. Thompson has an associate degree in information technology from the University of Kansas and is working on a bachelor's degree in business and personal finance.

When you stop paying a credit card, the first step in the collection process is for the credit card company to call you and send you collection letters. These calls and letters get increasingly aggressive and nasty as time goes by. They may even tell you that you can be arrested for not paying your credit card debt. This is not true and it violates the law for them to say it as a scare tactic. There are several law firms in the State of Connecticut that represent the credit card industry. These law firms file suit against delinquent credit card holders. If calling and writing letters does not scare you into paying, the credit card company will file a lawsuit against you. You will be served a summons from a marshal. You can try to defend the suit, but if you owe the money, the chances of winning the suit are low. If the credit card company wins the lawsuit, they will obtain a judgment against you. The judgment is very powerful because it allows the credit card company to take money from you without your permission. The court will give the credit card company a bank execution. A bank execution allows a state marshal to go to all of the banks in the state and if you have any money in those banks, the marshal can freeze that money. If you receive notice of a bank execution it is not too late to protect the money in the bank. The bank will give you a form, which allows you to claim the money in the bank account as exempt. The form is called Exemption Claim Form Bank Execution. It can be found on the Connecticut Judicial website as form JD-CV24a. A creditor cannot take your last $1000, so if you have $1000 or less in the account, you can protect it. If the money in the account comes from Social Security, that is exempt as well. You only have 15 days from the mailing of the Exemption Claim Form to claim the money in the account as exempt. You should also file the form with your bank. After you file the form with the court, you will receive a hearing date.

If you file bankruptcy during this 15 day window, the credit card company will not be able to take the money from your account.

In most cases you can protect up to $10,000-$12,000 per person in your bank account if you file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

If you receive a bank execution, Attorney Pletter can help you fill out the Exemption Claim Form.

He can also tell you if filing for bankruptcy is a good idea.

Who can take money from your bank account?

A bank account levy allows a creditor to legally take funds from your bank account. When a bank gets notification of this legal action, it will freeze your account and send the appropriate funds to your creditor. In turn, your creditor uses the funds to pay down the debt you owe.

Who can access your bank account legally?

When Can Others See My Bank Accounts Balance?.
Government Agencies. Government agencies, like the Internal Revenue Service, can access your personal bank account. ... .
Liability Lawsuits. ... .
Law Enforcement Agencies and Warrants. ... .
Other Considerations..

Can my account be debited without authorization?

Money can only be taken from your account if you've authorised the transaction. If you notice a payment from your account that you didn't authorise, you should contact your bank or other payment service provider immediately.