How to Fill Out Michigan Form MC 22 (w/Examples) + FAQs

Michigan Form MC 22, the Request and Writ for Garnishment (Periodic), is the court document a judgment creditor files to capture a judgment debtor’s wages, rent payments, land contract payments, or other recurring income through a third party called the garnishee. It is governed by MCR 3.101 and MCL 600.4012, and the writ stays alive for 182 days after issuance.

If you win a Michigan judgment but the debtor will not pay, MC 22 is how you force the issue without a sheriff knocking on doors. According to the State Court Administrative Office, garnishment writs are among the top three most-filed post-judgment papers in Michigan district courts, and a sizeable share are bounced for clerical mistakes that are entirely avoidable.

Here is what you will learn:

📄 What MC 22 does, who can file it, and the statute that powers it
🧾 The exact documents, numbers, and fees you need before you start
✍️ A line-by-line walkthrough of every box on the current 3/24 revision
👥 Three real-world filer scenarios with full sample entries
⚖️ How to file, what happens next, the mistakes that get writs rejected, and 12+ FAQs

What the Form Is and Who Must File It

Michigan Form MC 22 is the Request and Writ for Garnishment (Periodic), an SCAO-approved form used statewide in district, circuit, and probate courts. The current revision is dated 3/24, printed in the lower-left corner of the form. Always confirm you are using the newest version before filing, because clerks reject older revisions on sight.

The form is filed by a plaintiff who already holds a money judgment, called a judgment creditor, against a defendant, called a judgment debtor. Common filers include landlords, medical providers, credit card assignees, small businesses, and private individuals who won small claims cases. Collection attorneys file the bulk of MC 22s, but pro se creditors file thousands each year through Michigan’s district courts.

The “periodic” in the title means the writ captures payments that repeat over time, such as wages, salary, commissions, land contract installments, or rental income. A different form, MC 13 (Request and Writ for Garnishment, Non-periodic), is used for one-time grabs like bank accounts. Picking the wrong form is the single fastest way to waste your $15 filing fee and your $35.50 disclosure fee.

The statute behind MC 22 is the Revised Judicature Act, specifically MCL 600.4011 through 600.4061. The procedural rule is MCR 3.101, which sets the writ life at 182 days, the disclosure deadline at 14 days, and the post-service rules that protect the debtor from runaway withholdings.

Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need

Before you open MC 22, gather every number, address, and date below. Missing even one will stall your writ at the clerk’s window or, worse, get it served on the wrong garnishee.

Certified copy of the judgment — you must know the exact judgment date, amount, and case number, because every box on MC 22 is keyed to the judgment.
Judgment debtor’s full legal name — write it exactly as it appears on the judgment, because a misspelling lets the garnishee answer “no such employee.”
Judgment debtor’s last four Social Security digits — required by MCR 3.101(D), and the writ will not issue without it.
Judgment debtor’s last known address — needed for the post-service notice to the debtor, who has 14 days to object.
Garnishee’s full legal name and registered address — pull this from LARA’s Corporations Online Filing System, because serving the wrong corporate entity voids the writ.
Running balance of post-judgment interest — calculated under MCL 600.6013, using the six-month T-bill rate plus 1%.
Court costs and prior taxed costs — sheriff fees, prior writ fees, and clerk costs you have paid since judgment.
Case number and court name — copy the caption from the judgment, including the three-letter case-type code (often GC for general civil).
Two checks or e-pay confirmations — one $15 to the court, one $35.50 to the garnishee, made payable correctly.
Plaintiff’s current mailing address and phone — the court mails the disclosure copy back to this address.

Skipping any item triggers a real penalty. If you forget the disclosure fee, the garnishee is not legally required to answer, and your writ collects nothing.

Where to Get the Form and How to Access It

The official MC 22 lives on the Michigan Courts SCAO forms library as a fillable PDF. Always download fresh from that page, because third-party copies on legal blogs are often outdated revisions that clerks will reject.

You can complete MC 22 three ways. First, you can type directly into the fillable PDF using Adobe Acrobat Reader, save it, and either e-file or print it. Second, you can print a blank copy and hand-write entries in black ink, using all capital letters for clarity. Third, you can use a vendor portal such as MiFILE that pre-populates the caption from your existing case.

Michigan has moved most courts onto mandatory e-filing through MiFILE/TrueFiling, administered by Tyler Technologies. As of 2026, every circuit court and most district courts require electronic submission for represented parties, while pro se filers can usually still walk paper to the counter. Check the court directory for your specific court’s rule before you choose paper.

If you need a paper original, the court clerk’s office sells blank MC 22 forms for a small copy charge, and many self-help centers, including Michigan Legal Help, offer free guided interviews that fill the form for you and produce a print-ready PDF.

Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out Form MC 22 Line by Line

The form has a top caption, a Request section signed by the plaintiff, a Writ section signed by the clerk, and three sets of post-issuance instructions for the garnishee, the defendant, and the plaintiff. Fill the caption and Request only. The clerk completes the Writ.

Court Name, County, and Court Address (Top Caption)

This top strip names the judicial district, judicial circuit, or county probate court that entered the judgment. Copy the court name and address word-for-word from the judgment, including the ZIP code and court phone number.

How to answer: write “36th DISTRICT COURT” or “3rd CIRCUIT COURT — WAYNE COUNTY” exactly as printed on the judgment. Use the same address that appears on the judgment, not the court’s mailing address if those differ.

Example: Maria Lopez, who won a small claims case in Grand Rapids, writes 61st DISTRICT COURT, 180 OTTAWA AVE NW, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49503, (616) 632-5700.

Nuance: if your case was transferred between courts after judgment, list the court that entered the judgment, not the original filing court, because the writ must issue from the rendering court under MCR 3.101(B).

Common mistake: writing only the city or county. The clerk cannot route your writ without the full court name, and the form gets stamped Returned — Caption Incomplete.

Misconception: filers think the court address can be the courthouse’s mailing PO Box. It must be the physical street address used on the judgment, because that address proves jurisdiction.

Case Number Box

This box holds the unique case identifier the court assigned when the lawsuit began. It usually has a year, a sequence number, and a two- or three-letter suffix.

How to answer: copy the case number exactly, including hyphens and the suffix. A typical entry is 24-12345-GC for a general civil district court case.

Example: Marcus, a contractor in Lansing, writes 25-008712-GC on his MC 22, matching the number on his July 2025 judgment.

Nuance: small claims judgments transferred to the general civil docket get a new suffix, often -GC instead of -SC. Use the current suffix on the judgment, not the original small claims number.

Common mistake: omitting the suffix. The clerk’s docketing system rejects the writ as a duplicate or unmatched filing, delaying issuance by days.

Misconception: that the case number resets after judgment. It does not. The same number follows the case forever, including through appeals and collection.

Plaintiff Name and Address

The plaintiff is the judgment creditor, the party who won the case and is now collecting. Use the legal name from the judgment, not a trade name or DBA unless the DBA is what the judgment used.

How to answer: enter the plaintiff’s full legal name on line 1, then the street address, city, state, and ZIP on the address lines below. If the plaintiff is a corporation, write the entity name as registered with LARA.

Example: RIVERSIDE PROPERTIES LLC, 2200 LAKE DR SE, EAST GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49506.

Nuance: if the judgment was assigned to a debt buyer, the assignee files MC 22 in its own name and attaches the assignment of judgment under MCR 2.620.

Common mistake: using a personal address for a business plaintiff. The court mails the returned disclosure to this address, and a personal address can expose the owner’s home to debtor contact.

Misconception: that you can list a PO Box. You can, but only if the same PO Box is on the judgment caption. Otherwise, the clerk treats it as a mismatch.

Defendant Name, Address, and Last Four SSN

The defendant is the judgment debtor, whose periodic payments you intend to capture. The form requires the defendant’s last known address and the last four digits of the Social Security number.

How to answer: enter the full legal name as it appears on the judgment, then the street address, city, state, ZIP, and the four SSN digits in the small box labeled last four digits of social security number.

Example: JAMES T. WALKER, 415 PINE ST APT 3, FLINT, MI 48503, SSN: 4421.

Nuance: if you do not know the SSN, you can request it through a Discovery Subpoena (MC 11) or a creditor’s exam under MCR 2.621. Some courts also accept the writ without SSN if the form is marked Unknown despite due diligence, but this is judge-dependent.

Common mistake: writing the full SSN. Doing so violates MCR 1.109(D)(9) on personal identifying information, and the clerk must seal or reject the filing.

Misconception: that the address must be current. It only needs to be the last known address, because the post-service notice goes to that address and creates a presumption of receipt.

Plaintiff’s Attorney, Bar Number, Address, and Telephone

If a Michigan-licensed attorney represents the plaintiff, that attorney completes this block. Pro se plaintiffs leave the attorney lines blank.

How to answer: print the attorney’s name, State Bar P-number, firm name, address, city, state, ZIP, and a daytime phone. Pro se filers write Pro Se on the name line and complete the address and phone lines themselves.

Example: KARA P. JENSEN (P78921), JENSEN COLLECTIONS PLLC, 88 MONROE CTR NW STE 400, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49503, (616) 555-0144.

Nuance: the bar number must be the attorney of record, not a paralegal or contract attorney. Misidentifying counsel can support a motion to quash the writ.

Common mistake: leaving the phone number blank. The clerk often calls about defects before issuing, and a missing number means a mailed rejection notice and a 7- to 10-day delay.

Misconception: that out-of-state attorneys can sign. They cannot, unless admitted pro hac vice in the underlying case under MCR 8.126.

Garnishee Name and Address

The garnishee is the third party holding the debtor’s money, usually the employer for wage garnishments, a tenant for rental income, or a land contract vendee for installment payments.

How to answer: write the garnishee’s exact legal name and registered office address. For corporations and LLCs, pull the resident agent address from LARA’s business search. For sole proprietors, use the owner’s name with d/b/a and the business address.

Example: FORD MOTOR COMPANY, C/O THE CORPORATION COMPANY, 40600 ANN ARBOR RD E STE 201, PLYMOUTH, MI 48170.

Nuance: a payroll service is not the garnishee unless it actually holds the funds. Serve the employer of record, because the employer controls the payment relationship.

Common mistake: serving a parent company instead of the subsidiary that issues the paycheck. The parent files a non-liability disclosure, the writ expires, and you start over.

Misconception: that you can list a job site address. You cannot. Garnishees must be served at the registered office or a place where an officer is found under MCR 2.105.

Item 1 — Judgment Information (Date, Amount, Type)

Item 1 anchors the writ to the underlying judgment. You enter the judgment date, the original judgment amount, and check whether it is a Michigan judgment or a foreign judgment domesticated under the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act.

How to answer: enter the judgment date as MM/DD/YYYY, the dollar amount to the cent, and check the correct box for judgment type.

Example: 03/14/2025 and $4,287.50, with the Michigan judgment box checked.

Nuance: if the judgment was renewed under MCL 600.5809, use the original judgment date, not the renewal date, because the renewal preserves the lien rather than starting a new one.

Common mistake: entering the date the complaint was filed. The writ then references a non-existent judgment and is dismissed on the garnishee’s first disclosure.

Misconception: that consent judgments cannot be garnished. They can, as long as the consent judgment is entered as a money judgment.

Item 2 — Post-Judgment Interest, Costs, and Payments

Item 2 captures everything that has happened to the balance since the judgment was entered. You list post-judgment interest, additional costs, and payments or credits received.

How to answer: calculate post-judgment interest under MCL 600.6013(8) using the Treasury’s published rate for each six-month period since judgment. Add taxed costs, subtract any payments, and arrive at the Total Amount of Judgment Balance Now Due on the bolded total line.

Example: Maria’s $4,287.50 judgment from March 2025 has accrued $172.30 in interest by April 2026, plus $50 sheriff fees and $15 on a prior writ, less $200 a paid by the debtor’s mother, for a total of $4,324.80.

Nuance: contractual judgments may carry a higher interest rate if the contract states one, but the rate cannot exceed MCL 438.31c limits.

Common mistake: failing to apply payments. Overstating the balance is a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act violation if the plaintiff is a debt collector, and it can support sanctions under MCR 1.109(E).

Misconception: that you can round interest to the nearest dollar. Courts expect to-the-cent precision, and rounding is one of the most common reasons for a clerk callback.

Plaintiff’s Verification and Signature

The form requires the plaintiff (or attorney) to verify the balance under penalty of perjury. The signature block sits just under the totals.

How to answer: sign in blue or black ink for paper filings, or apply your e-signature in MiFILE for electronic filings. Print the signer’s name, title if applicable, and date.

Example: /s/ Kara P. Jensen, Attorney for Plaintiff, 04/22/2026.

Nuance: a corporate plaintiff signing pro se must have an officer sign and identify the role, because Michigan generally bars non-attorneys from representing corporations under MCR 2.117, with limited small claims exceptions.

Common mistake: signing without dating. An undated verification fails the oath requirement, and the writ is void on its face.

Misconception: that a stamped signature is acceptable. It is not. The signer must personally sign or apply a recognized electronic signature.

Writ Section (Court Use Only)

The lower half of the form, beginning with To the Garnishee, is filled in by the clerk or judge. You leave it blank.

How to answer: do not write here. The clerk enters the issue date, the writ expiration (182 days later), and signs as Deputy Clerk.

Example: clerk stamps Issued 04/25/2026, Expires 10/24/2026 and signs T. Mendez, Deputy Clerk.

Nuance: in some courts, a judge must sign rather than the clerk if the judgment is over a threshold. Confirm with your local court rules.

Common mistake: filling this section yourself. The clerk will reject the form because it appears tampered with.

Misconception: that you can ask the clerk to back-date the issue date to capture an earlier paycheck. They cannot, and asking can be referred for sanctions.

Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios

Scenario 1 — Maria Lopez, Landlord Garnishing a Former Tenant’s Wages

Maria won a $4,287.50 judgment in 61st District Court against a former tenant who skipped on rent. She wants to garnish his wages at his new employer, a Grand Rapids manufacturer.

Form Section	What Maria Enters
Court name and address	61st DISTRICT COURT, 180 OTTAWA AVE NW, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49503
Case number	24-006541-LT
Plaintiff name	MARIA LOPEZ
Defendant name and SSN last 4	DAVID R. KELLER, SSN: 7788
Plaintiff’s attorney	Pro Se
Garnishee name	STEELCASE INC., C/O CSC-LAWYERS INC SVC CO, 601 ABBOT RD, EAST LANSING, MI 48823
Judgment date and amount	03/14/2025, $4,287.50
Post-judgment interest	$172.30
Total balance due	$4,324.80
Verification signature	/s/ Maria Lopez, 04/22/2026

Scenario 2 — Marcus Bell, Small Business Owner Collecting on an Unpaid Invoice

Marcus’s electrical contracting business won a $9,150 judgment against a commercial customer who never paid. He garnishes the customer’s commercial tenant for monthly rent payments owed to the customer.

Form Section	What Marcus Enters
Court name and address	54A DISTRICT COURT, 124 W MICHIGAN AVE, LANSING, MI 48933
Case number	25-008712-GC
Plaintiff name	BELL ELECTRIC LLC
Defendant name and SSN last 4	RIVERSIDE COMMERCIAL HOLDINGS LLC, FEIN: 4499
Plaintiff’s attorney	J. PATEL (P81234), PATEL LAW PLC
Garnishee name	DOWNTOWN DELI INC., 410 S WASHINGTON SQ, LANSING, MI 48933
Judgment date and amount	07/02/2025, $9,150.00
Post-judgment interest	$298.40
Total balance due	$9,498.40
Verification signature	/s/ J. Patel, Attorney for Plaintiff, 04/22/2026

Scenario 3 — Janet Cho, Small Claims Winner Garnishing After a Fender-Bender Judgment

Janet won a $2,800 small claims judgment after a parking-lot collision. The defendant ignored her demand letter, so she files MC 22 to capture his wages at a Detroit hospital.

Form Section	What Janet Enters
Court name and address	36TH DISTRICT COURT, 421 MADISON ST, DETROIT, MI 48226
Case number	25-112233-GC
Plaintiff name	JANET CHO
Defendant name and SSN last 4	ANDRE WILSON, SSN: 1023
Plaintiff’s attorney	Pro Se
Garnishee name	HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM, C/O CT CORPORATION SYSTEM, 40600 ANN ARBOR RD E STE 201, PLYMOUTH, MI 48170
Judgment date and amount	01/10/2026, $2,800.00
Post-judgment interest	$28.65
Total balance due	$2,843.65
Verification signature	/s/ Janet Cho, 04/22/2026

How to File the Completed Form

Filing MC 22 means lodging the original with the issuing court, paying the court fee, and paying the garnishee disclosure fee. Michigan accepts three filing channels, and your court rules dictate which one you must use.

The first channel is electronic filing through MiFILE/TrueFiling, the statewide e-filing portal operated by Tyler Technologies. Pay the $15 writ fee and the $35.50 garnishee fee with a credit card or e-check. Processing takes one to three business days, and the system returns a stamped, issued PDF to your dashboard, which serves as your proof of filing.

The second channel is in-person filing at the issuing court’s clerk window. Bring three copies, the original judgment if requested, and two payments — $15 to the court (cash, check, or money order) and $35.50 to the garnishee (separate check made payable to the garnishee). The clerk stamps and issues on the spot in most counties, and your time-stamped copy is your proof of filing.

The third channel is mail filing, accepted by smaller district courts. Mail the signed original, two copies, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and both fees by check to the court’s mailing address. Processing runs 5 to 10 business days. Use USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt to create proof of filing.

After issuance, you must serve the writ on the garnishee within 182 days under MCR 3.101(D). Service is by certified mail with return receipt, or by personal service through a process server or sheriff. You must also mail a copy and the $35.50 fee to the garnishee on or before the day of service, or the disclosure obligation does not attach.

Within seven days of serving the garnishee, you must mail a copy of the writ and the Garnishment Notice to Defendant (MC 13a) to the defendant, along with proof of service on the Proof of Service form (MC 08). Skipping this step gives the defendant grounds to quash the writ.

What Happens After You File

After issuance, the garnishee has 14 days to file a Garnishee Disclosure (MC 14) with the court and mail copies to you and the defendant. The disclosure tells the court whether the defendant works there, what the pay schedule is, and whether other garnishments have priority.

The defendant has 14 days from receipt of the writ to file objections under MCR 3.101(K). If the defendant objects, the court schedules a hearing within 21 days, and withholding is paused until the judge rules.

If no objection is filed, the garnishee begins withholding the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which weekly earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage, per the federal Consumer Credit Protection Act and MCL 600.4015. Withheld funds are sent to the plaintiff or to the court, depending on local practice, until the writ expires or the balance is paid.

If the garnishee fails to disclose, you can request a Default Against Garnishee (MC 19), which can make the garnishee personally liable for the judgment. This is the strongest enforcement tool against a non-responsive employer.

The writ expires 182 days after issuance. If the balance is not satisfied, file a fresh MC 22 with a new total. There is no rule against back-to-back writs, and most successful collections take two or three writ cycles.

Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form

Using the wrong revision date — clerks reject any version older than 3/24, costing you a week’s delay.
Confusing MC 22 with MC 13 — periodic and non-periodic writs target different income streams, and the wrong form gets dismissed.
Listing a payroll vendor as the garnishee — only the employer of record is liable, and the vendor will disclose no relationship.
Writing the full Social Security number — the clerk must seal or reject the filing under MCR 1.109(D)(9).
Forgetting the $35.50 disclosure fee — without it, the garnishee has no duty to answer, and your writ collects nothing.
Skipping post-judgment interest — under-collecting is forfeited, and you cannot retroactively add it after the writ issues.
Overstating the balance — overcharging exposes a debt collector to FDCPA liability and sanctions.
Mailing to a job site rather than the registered agent — service is void, and the writ expires unused.
Failing to serve MC 13a on the defendant — the writ is subject to being quashed for lack of notice.
Filing after the 182-day window of a prior writ without re-issuance — old writs cannot be revived; you must file a new MC 22.
Leaving the case number suffix off — the clerk’s docket system rejects the filing as unmatched.
Signing without dating — an undated verification fails the oath requirement, voiding the writ.

Dos and Don’ts

Do:

Do download MC 22 fresh from the SCAO library every time, because revisions change without notice.
Do verify the garnishee’s resident agent on LARA the same day you serve, because corporate addresses change often.
Do calculate post-judgment interest to the cent, because rounding is the most common clerk callback.
Do mail the $35.50 disclosure fee to the garnishee with the writ, because the duty to answer attaches only on payment.
Do keep a service file with the certified mail green card, because the proof of service window is short and unforgiving.
Do file a new MC 22 before the 182-day expiration, because a one-day gap costs you a paycheck cycle.

Don’t:

Don’t write the debtor’s full SSN, because Michigan rules require only the last four digits.
Don’t list a DBA without the legal entity, because writs against trade names alone are unenforceable.
Don’t serve the wrong corporate entity, because that voids the writ and forfeits both fees.
Don’t combine two debtors on one writ, because each debtor needs a separate MC 22.
Don’t use white-out, because clerks reject altered writs as facially defective.
Don’t ignore the defendant’s objection, because missing the hearing dismisses the writ with prejudice in most courts.

Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help

Pros of filing pro se:

Saves attorney fees, which often run $250 to $500 per writ.
Total control over timing and strategy across multiple writ cycles.
Michigan Legal Help provides a free guided interview that drafts MC 22 for you.
Direct relationship with the clerk’s office, which speeds up callbacks.
Builds knowledge for repeat collections, valuable for landlords and small businesses.

Cons of filing pro se:

Interest math is unforgiving, and one rounding error means a clerk callback.
Corporations cannot represent themselves above small claims thresholds.
Service errors are easy to make and expensive to fix.
Defendant objections require a hearing, and pro se filers often miss procedural details.
Repeat writs require disciplined calendaring, and a missed 182-day deadline forfeits a cycle.

Pros of using an attorney:

Attorneys carry malpractice insurance against service mistakes.
Collection lawyers often work on contingency, charging only on what they recover.
They handle defendant objections at the hearing without your appearance.
They have direct e-filing accounts in MiFILE, reducing turnaround.
They can pivot to bank levies, judgment liens, and creditor’s exams when garnishment alone is not enough.

Cons of using an attorney:

Hourly rates can erode small-balance recoveries.
Less direct visibility into the process.
Some firms file standardized writs without verifying garnishee details.
Conflicts of interest can disqualify counsel mid-collection.
Switching counsel mid-case requires substitution paperwork.

Periodic vs. Non-Periodic Garnishment Forms

Key Entities That Interact With MC 22

The Michigan State Court Administrative Office approves and revises MC 22, and SCAO sets the form’s standardized fields. The Michigan Department of Treasury publishes the post-judgment interest rate twice a year, which feeds Item 2.

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs hosts the corporate database used to identify the right garnishee. The Michigan Legislature maintains the statutes, including MCL 600.4011 et seq., which authorize garnishment.

Federal law also matters. The Consumer Credit Protection Act caps wage withholding at 25% of disposable earnings, and the FDCPA governs how debt collectors describe the balance.

Key Court Rulings That Shape MC 22 Practice

In Bullington v Corbell, 293 Mich App 549 (2011), the Michigan Court of Appeals confirmed that a garnishee’s failure to disclose can support a default judgment for the full amount, anchoring the leverage behind MC 19.

In administrative guidance issued by SCAO in 2024, the office reminded clerks that the 3/24 revision standardizes the SSN box and the disclosure fee line, and that prior versions should be returned to filers without filing.

FAQs

Do I file MC 22 in the same court that entered my judgment?

Yes. The writ must issue from the court that entered the underlying judgment, per MCR 3.101(B). Transferring courts after judgment changes nothing about the writ’s origin court.

Can I garnish unemployment benefits with MC 22?

No. Michigan unemployment benefits are exempt under MCL 421.30, so MC 22 cannot reach them. Use other collection tools instead.

Is MC 22 the correct form for a bank account?

No. Use MC 13, the non-periodic writ, for bank accounts. MC 22 captures only recurring payments like wages and rent.

Do I write the defendant’s full Social Security number?

No. Enter only the last four digits in the dedicated SSN box. The full number violates MCR 1.109(D)(9) on personal identifying information.

Should I sign before or after the clerk issues the writ?

Yes, sign before. The plaintiff’s verification must already be on the form when the clerk reviews it, because the clerk is verifying your sworn balance, not creating one.

Can the judgment debtor stop the garnishment?

Yes. The defendant has 14 days to file objections under MCR 3.101(K). The court holds a hearing within 21 days, and withholding pauses until the judge rules.

Is the $35.50 fee mandatory every time I file a new MC 22?

Yes. The garnishee disclosure fee is per writ. Even repeat writs against the same employer require a new $35.50 payment to trigger the disclosure duty.

Do I list a P.O. Box for the garnishee?

No. List the registered office or street address found on LARA. Service to a P.O. Box is generally invalid for corporations and LLCs.

Can I add attorney fees to the balance in Item 2?

Yes, but only if the judgment expressly awarded post-judgment attorney fees or a statute or contract authorizes them. Otherwise, only taxed costs and interest go in.

Should I check the Michigan judgment box for a small claims judgment?

Yes. Small claims judgments are Michigan judgments. Check the Michigan judgment box and use the case number from the small claims docket.

Do I serve MC 22 on the defendant or just the garnishee?

Yes, serve both. The garnishee receives the writ and fee within 182 days, and the defendant must receive the writ and MC 13a notice within 7 days of garnishee service.

Is the 182-day writ life extendable?

No. The writ expires at 182 days under MCR 3.101(B)(1). To continue collecting, file a new MC 22 with an updated balance.

Can a corporation file MC 22 without an attorney?

No, outside small claims. Corporations and LLCs generally must appear through a Michigan-licensed attorney under MCR 2.117, with limited exceptions.

Do I refile MC 22 if the debtor changes jobs?

Yes. A new employer is a new garnishee, requiring a fresh MC 22, a new $15 court fee, and a new $35.50 disclosure fee.

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