Legal · St. Louis Region
Wage Garnishment for Missouri Landlords: Collecting After the Judgment
A judgment for unpaid rent is not a check. It's a piece of paper that authorizes collection. Wage garnishment is the most reliable collection tool available to St. Louis landlords, and it's the one most owners never actually use.
April 2, 2025 · 5 min read
Confirm you have a money judgment
A rent-and-possession judgment typically includes both possession and money for the unpaid rent. Confirm the money portion — the specific dollar amount — is entered. Without it, you have nothing to garnish.
Find the employer
Public records, prior applications, and social profiles are the usual sources. Once you have an employer, you file a request for garnishment through the court that entered the judgment.
How much you actually get
Missouri caps consumer wage garnishment at roughly 25% of disposable earnings (10% if the debtor is head of household). It is slower than a lump-sum payment, but it is consistent and it compounds — most tenants do not switch jobs quickly enough to escape it.
When the tenant changes jobs
The garnishment attaches to a specific employer. If the tenant leaves, you re-file against the new one. Judgments in Missouri last ten years and are renewable — keep collecting.
Frequently asked questions
Does wage garnishment require a separate lawsuit?
No. It's a post-judgment collection action on the case you already won. You do not have to sue again.
How long does a Missouri judgment last?
Ten years, and it can be renewed. Do not treat an old unpaid-rent judgment as expired without checking.
Need this handled?
We file, execute, clean, and collect — one call.