Summary: For decades I had my student loans paid by automated payment from my bank without a problem; just take it out of my bank and there's a small benefit in interest for it.
Recently, my current employer showed me that there was a collections office who would take 15% of my salary and if they did not 'okay' it, there could be legal ramifications. The office naturally had to sign it. Now 15% of my salary is being removed by this collection agency.
Background: This part of the Federal student loan had become part of a separate agency and as I was not paying it, it defaulted two years ago without any notification to me.
I am happy to pay for the last fifteen years, and I understand it should have been my responsibility to notice my automatic withdrawals had a different amount (?) from my set-aside account for those payments, but the surprise is sudden and with ten days notice, I've received no movement other than now my salary is being taken by a draconian amount without me signing a single thing other than the original loan in 2005ish.
Does this sound legally dodgy?
As in I should seek representation, or is this status quo and if phone and mail conversations are resulting in no change, it is something generally accepted by other people in my situation.
My question isn't necessarily about my employer going along with this nor about how I feel about the student loan (I of course have always endeavored to pay my debts), but whether this is a legal issue based on my summary.
