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What A Creditor Cannot Take

G.L. c. 235, § 34 — $2,500 in the bank, a $7,500 car, and most of a paycheck

Kept from seizure on executionUp to
Kept from seizure on executionCash, savings or depositsUp to$2,500
Kept from seizure on executionWages, each weekUp toThe greater of 85 per cent of gross wages or 50 times the higher hourly minimum wage
Kept from seizure on executionAn automobile needed for personal transportation or workUp to$7,500 of wholesale resale value
Kept from seizure on executionHousehold furnitureUp to$15,000
Kept from seizure on executionTools, implements and fixtures for the debtor's tradeUp to$5,000
Kept from seizure on executionRent for the home each month, in place of a homesteadUp to$2,500
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In Massachusetts, also exempt are necessary clothing, beds and bedding, one heating unit, stove, refrigerator, freezer and hot water heater, up to $500 a month for utilities, one computer and one television in use, and the full amount of any public assistance.

Sources for this section (1)
  1. G.L. c. 235, § 34 — Property exempt from execution

Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Massachusetts attorney.

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