Any persons, firm, company, corporation or business institution guilty of a violation of section 25-1560 or 25-1561, shall be liable to the party injured through such violation thereof for the amount of the debt sold, assigned, transferred, garnished or sued upon with all costs and expenses and reasonable attorney's fee, to be recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction in this state, and shall further be guilty of a Class IV misdemeanor.
§ 25-1563.Exempt wages; interstate business; violation; penalty.
Article 15: Execution, Exemptions, and Foreign Judgments · Last amended 1977 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section makes a violation of section 25-1560 or 25-1561 a Class IV misdemeanor and gives the injured worker a civil claim against the violator for the debt amount, costs, and a reasonable attorney’s fee.
Full Text of § 25-1563
Source
Laws 1889, c. 25, § 4, p. 370; R.S.1913, § 8110; C.S.1922, § 9046; C.S.1929, § 20-1564; R.S.1943, § 25-1563; Laws 1977, LB 40, § 100.
Plain-English Summary
Section 25-1563 supplies the teeth for Nebraska’s wage-exemption evasion statutes. Anyone who violates section 25-1560 or 25-1561 faces two consequences. First, the violator is liable to the injured party for the amount of the debt that was sold, assigned, transferred, garnished, or sued upon, along with all costs, expenses, and a reasonable attorney’s fee, recoverable in any court of competent jurisdiction in Nebraska. Second, the violator is guilty of a Class IV misdemeanor.
Pairing a civil remedy with a criminal penalty gives the statute two separate ways to deter evasion. The worker whose wages were wrongly pursued can recover money directly from the creditor or accomplice, while the criminal misdemeanor charge gives prosecutors a separate tool. A Class IV misdemeanor is one of Nebraska’s lower-level misdemeanor classifications, but the label still marks the conduct as a criminal offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the consequences of violating section 25-1560 or 25-1561?
Civil liability to the injured party for the debt amount involved, plus costs, expenses, and a reasonable attorney’s fee, and criminal liability as a Class IV misdemeanor.
Who can bring the civil claim under this section?
Where can the civil claim be brought?
In any court of competent jurisdiction in Nebraska.
Does the injured worker have to prove actual damages beyond the debt amount?
The statute ties recovery to the amount of the debt sold, assigned, transferred, garnished, or sued upon, plus costs, expenses, and attorney’s fees, rather than requiring a separate showing of additional damages.
Is a Class IV misdemeanor a serious criminal charge in Nebraska?
It sits toward the lower end of Nebraska’s misdemeanor classifications, but it is still a criminal offense, separate from and in addition to the civil liability the section creates.
Does this section apply to accomplices as well as the creditor who directly violates section 25-1560?
Source & verification. Section text and the amendment-history citation are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Legislature, Revisor of Statutes, enacted by the
Nebraska Legislature. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: penalty for wage exemption evasion nebraskaclass iv misdemeanor wage garnishmentcivil liability for evading wage exemptionattorney fee wage evasion claimconsequences of violating section 25-1560