A debtor can garnish a bank account if he has authority from the court allowing the garnishment. Until recently, garnishment took place even when the bank account included Social Security funds, even though benefits are considered safe from garnishment in most cases. A joint account is not exempt from garnishment because the account is owned entirely by both people listed on the account. Special rules now apply if Social Security benefits are deposited in a recipient's bank account. Garnishment by Creditors Section 207 of the Social Security...
