US Marshals arresting people for not paying their federal student loans

[LiberalArkie]

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Believe it or not, the US Marshals Service in Houston is arresting people for not paying their outstanding federal student loans.

Paul Aker says he was arrested at his home last week for a $1500 federal student loan he received in 1987.

He says seven deputy US Marshals showed up at his home with guns and took him to federal court where he had to sign a payment plan for the 29-year-old school loan.

Congressman Gene Green says the federal government is now using private debt collectors to go after those who owe student loans.

Snip

http://www.fox26houston.com/news/local-news/92232732-story

[tk2kewl]

1. super predators praying on the 1% - lock 'em up

[Fumesucker]

2. Bring 'em to heel

[Igel]

15. "Federal government." n/t

[Quackers]

5. No shit

I could've sworn debtors prisons were illegal now.

[NYC Liberal]

18. Did you miss the part where no prison is involved?

[liberalhistorian]

4. It's too bad

the Bundy Bunch in Oregon didn't have outstanding federal student loans; they wouldn't have been as coddled and the marshalls would have taken action immediately.

Glad to see they're working hard at protecting us from such dangerous criminals in our midst.

[LiberalArkie]

6. Bill was just trying to help the poor bankers that were having problems with students not

paying back their loans.

[Binkie The Clown]

7. Next up: For-profit debtor's prisons offer slave labor to companies sick of paying workers.

The capitalist's wet dream.

[LiberalArkie]

8. Well it is a way to bring jobs back to the U.S.

[Logical]

9. Well, it was a loan from 1987! 29 years ago, and only $1500. People borrow money.....

And for some reason get mad when having to pay it back.

[LiberalArkie]

10. Any other type of debt has a statute of limitations.

[Logical]

11. Which he knew about when he borrowed it. I am sure this idiot.....

Got notified 100s of times. He made a decision not to pay it.

They did not jail him, just set up a payment plan.

[LiberalArkie]

12. We'll not really, it was in Bill Clintons first term that they changed student loans

to where they can never be forgiven, they are the only debt besides federal income taxes that can be garnished from social security. I think the student loan debt can now be passed to the debtors children.

The used to be in the same category as unsecured debt, not any more. If the student signs up for 5% interest they can change it just any time the loaner desires.

[herding cats]

21. Federal student loan debt dies with you, and cannot be passed to your children or spouse.

Private student loans depend on if it's a community property state, if there was a cosigner and how state laws manage probate.

I'm in the midst of dealing with this at the moment, and only mention this as an informational post for others who may find themselves dealing with a parents student loan debt when they pass. I don't want people to panic for the wrong reasons.

[saturnsring]

13. i dont get it either - and here he will be seen as some sort of marytr/hero and you will be the

authoritarian

[LanternWaste]

14. We often 'don't get' what our biases prevent us from seeing.

We often 'don't get' what our biases prevent us from seeing. Then we immediately play the martyr card to more effectively preempt any criticism of our non-position position, and take offense at things we pretend we'll be called.

Very effective, indeed.

[saturnsring]

16. and sometimes a cigar is just a cigar

[KamaAina]

17. Got fascism?

[clarice]

20. This is very spooky... I had better return my Library books... I don't want....

Ira Magaziner to come get me.

[cloudbase]

22. It turns out there's a bit more to the story.

As is often the case.

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/US-Marshals-say-man-wasn-t-arrested-because-he-6834620.php

[Stinky The Clown]

24. Just saw a story on TV about this. It seems the Marshals were doing what they should be doing

The guy was a scofflaw, not a victim.

We can argue student loans all day long, but that is NOT what this was about. It was about the "victim" ignoring notices over the years, ignoring the Marshals when they called him several times, when they taped at least one notice to his door. It was about his saying he had a gun when they last knocked on his door, causing the Marshals to retreat, suit up, and go back in tactical gear.

[B Calm]

23. $1,500 loan for almost 30 years should have been paid off years ago. Dude lives in a new house.

[Trekologer]

25. The guy wasn't arrested for not paying his student loan

He was arrested because he ignored numerous court summonses.

With an article as vague as that one is, you just have to know that there is more to the story then is being told in it.

[Tien1985]

26. Glad this wasn't exactly as it seemed,

but he was still being summoned to court over his debt. Screw that. This is why we need student loan forgiveness, yesterday.

[ShrimpPoboy]

27. Court is exactly where a delinquent debt should be handled

And if you ignore formal summons to be a part of that process, expect to go to jail eventually. You won't go to jail for being in debt or failing to pay, but you will if you ignore the court. If it were any other way no debt would ever be enforceable.

[Tien1985]

28. I get why this particular guy was arrested.

He failed to answer his summons, multiple times.

But I disagree that student loan debt should be handled in court. I'm for free higher education, full stop.