Turn Your Judgment Into Actual Payment
You won in court. Now you need someone to make the debtor actually pay. Our income execution process reaches the debtor’s paycheck directly — legally, efficiently, and across all five boroughs of New York City. We’re the marshal behind your judgment.
What Makes This Office Different
Mayoral Appointment, Badge 14
We are court-authorized public officers — not a collection agency. That distinction gives your judgment real enforcement power under New York State law.
Family-Run Since 1988
Edward F. Guida Sr. founded this office over 35 years ago. His son carries on the same standard of service and accountability today.
All Five Boroughs Covered
One office, citywide authority. We enforce income executions in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island without geographic limitation.
Technology-Backed Case Management
Every case is docketed accurately and tracked through completion — so nothing falls through the cracks on your judgment.
NYC Income Execution Explained
What Wage Garnishment Actually Looks Like in New York
An income execution — what most people call wage garnishment — is a court-authorized order that requires a judgment debtor’s employer to withhold a portion of their wages and send it directly to us, on your behalf. It’s the most direct enforcement tool available when a debtor has a job but refuses to pay voluntarily.
In New York City, income executions are handled by NYC Marshals, not the county sheriff. That’s a distinction that matters. We operate exclusively within the five boroughs, which means we know the courts, the employers, and the enforcement landscape here in a way that no outside-NYC officer does.
If you’ve already won a money judgment in Civil Court, Small Claims, or Supreme Court anywhere in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, or Staten Island, we can move forward with enforcement right away.
Garnish Debtor Wages the Right Way
What You Get When Enforcement Is Done Right
A judgment sitting in a drawer isn’t money. Here’s what changes when you put a marshal behind it.
- Your judgment stops being a piece of paper and starts producing actual payments every pay period.
- You bypass the debtor’s cooperation entirely — the employer is legally required to withhold and remit wages.
- The 5% poundage fee is paid by the judgment debtor, not by you — so enforcement doesn’t cost you out of pocket.
- Your judgment accrues 9% annual interest daily, and active enforcement ensures collection keeps pace with that clock.
- If the debtor is terminated and rehired by the same employer within 90 days, the garnishment resumes automatically.
- You work with a named, bonded, regulated public officer — not an anonymous agency with no accountability to the court.
Two-Stage Income Execution Process
The Clock Starts the Moment We File
New York law builds a specific two-stage timeline into every income execution, and how your marshal handles that timeline directly affects how fast you collect.
Stage One begins when we serve the income execution on the judgment debtor. From that point, the debtor has 20 days to begin making voluntary installment payments equal to 10% of their take-home wages. Some debtors do pay at this stage — which actually speeds things up.
If they don’t pay within those 20 days, we move immediately to Stage Two: serving the income execution directly on the employer. At that point, it’s no longer a request. The employer is legally required to withhold 10% of the debtor’s gross wages every pay period and send it to us. An employer who fails to comply can be held personally liable for the unremitted amounts — so non-compliance isn’t a realistic option for them.
We manage both stages from start to finish. You don’t need to track deadlines or follow up with employers. That’s our job.
Marshal Wage Garnishment vs. Collection Agencies
This Is Not What a Collection Agency Does
Collection agencies work pre-judgment. They call, send letters, and negotiate. If the debtor ignores them, they have limited options. A NYC Marshal operates post-judgment — with a court order behind every action.
When we serve an income execution, it carries the authority of the New York State court system. The debtor’s employer doesn’t get to decide whether to comply. That’s the fundamental difference between a marshal and an agency, and it’s why creditors who’ve already won in court come to us rather than starting over with a collection service.
Under New York law (CPLR § 5231), the maximum garnishment is capped at 10% of gross earnings or 25% of disposable earnings — whichever is less. New York’s cap is more protective of debtors than the federal standard, which means enforcement sometimes takes longer here. Choosing a marshal who manages the process diligently from day one matters more in NYC than it might elsewhere.
Income Execution Stages NYC
From Judgment to Payment: Here’s the Process
Submit Your Judgment Details
You provide us with your judgment information and the debtor’s employer details — we handle everything from there.
Stage One: Debtor Is Served
We serve the income execution on the debtor, starting the 20-day window for voluntary installment payments to begin.
Stage Two: Employer Is Served
If the debtor doesn’t pay voluntarily, we serve the employer directly — triggering mandatory wage withholding each pay period.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an income execution and how is it different from wage garnishment?
They’re the same thing — “income execution” is the legal term used in New York State, while “wage garnishment” is the common term most people recognize. When a court issues a money judgment in your favor and the debtor refuses to pay, an income execution is the legal mechanism that reaches their wages directly. We serve the order on the debtor and, if necessary, on their employer. The employer is then required by law to withhold a portion of the debtor’s wages each pay period and remit it to us on your behalf. It’s one of the most effective post-judgment enforcement tools available in New York.
How much of the debtor’s wages can actually be garnished in New York City?
Under New York law (CPLR § 5231), the maximum that can be withheld is 10% of the debtor’s gross earnings or 25% of their disposable earnings — whichever is less. New York’s 10% cap is more protective of debtors than the federal standard of 25%, which means collections here can take longer than in other states. That’s exactly why it matters to have a marshal who manages the timeline precisely and follows up consistently. Wages cannot be garnished at all if the debtor’s disposable earnings fall below 30 times the applicable minimum wage — so in some cases involving very low-income debtors, garnishment may not be immediately possible.
Can you enforce a wage garnishment across all five boroughs if your office is in Queens?
Yes, absolutely. Our office is located in Corona, Queens, but our authority as a NYC Marshal extends across all five boroughs — the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. This is one of the key distinctions between NYC Marshals and county sheriffs. We can serve income executions on employers and debtors in any borough, regardless of where the judgment was issued or where the debtor works. If your debtor’s employer is in Midtown Manhattan, along the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, in downtown Brooklyn, or anywhere else across the city, we have the legal authority to reach them.
What happens if the debtor quits their job after the garnishment starts?
If the debtor leaves their job after Stage Two has been served on the employer, the garnishment pauses — but it doesn’t disappear. Under New York law, if the debtor is rehired by the same employer within 90 days, the income execution resumes automatically without requiring a new filing. If the debtor takes a new job with a different employer, a new income execution would need to be served on the new employer. This is one of the reasons it’s worth moving quickly once you have a judgment — the sooner enforcement begins, the less time the debtor has to change employment situations or otherwise complicate collection.
Does the wage garnishment process cost me anything as the creditor?
The marshal’s poundage fee — set by state law at 5% of the total amount collected — is charged to the judgment debtor, not to you. It gets added to the total balance the debtor owes, on top of the original judgment, accrued interest, and any filing fees. So in practical terms, enforcement through an income execution does not come out of your recovery. You receive the judgment amount; the debtor pays the marshal’s fee on top of it. There are no published service fees listed on our site, and we’re happy to walk you through the full cost picture when you contact us.
Do I need a lawyer to start the income execution process with a marshal?
No. Creditors can engage our office directly — no attorney is required to submit an income execution. If you’ve already obtained a money judgment from a NYC Civil Court, Small Claims Court, Landlord and Tenant Court, or the Supreme Court in any of the five boroughs, you can contact us directly to begin the process. That said, many attorneys who handle post-judgment enforcement do refer their clients to our office, and we’re comfortable working alongside legal counsel when it’s involved. What you’ll need to provide is your judgment information and, ideally, the name and address of the debtor’s current employer. We’ll take it from there.
Call us at (718) 779-2134 or email us at guidajr@nycmarshal14.com to see how we can help you.