LARRY JOPLIN, Presiding Judge.
¶ 2 Creditor obtained a judgment against Debtor, and sought to garnish his wages from Garnishee. Garnishee answered, asserted Debtor's wages were subject to a prior income assignment for child support, and alleged that Debtor had no available wages subject to garnishment. Creditor took issue with Garnishee's answer, and asserted that, by its calculation, Debtor had available wages subject to its garnishment.
¶ 3 Garnishee filed a motion for summary judgment. Garnishee asserted that, where a "continuing earnings garnishment is issued against a defendant already subject to an income assignment for child support," § 1173.4(I)(1) of title 12, O.S., proscribed withholding of more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the defendant debtor's disposable earnings to satisfy both the prior income assignment for child support and subsequent garnishment. Garnishee argued that the 25% limitation was consistent with Oklahoma exemptions, 31 O.S. § 1(A)(18), as well as the pre-emptive federal law codified in the Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1671, et seq., §§ 1672(c),
¶ 4 Creditor filed a motion for summary judgment. Creditor asserted that § 1171.2(B) of title 12, O.S., subjected up to fifty percent (50%) of a defendant's disposable earnings to withholding for child support, and that Creditor was entitled to garnishment of the difference between the percentage
¶ 5 On consideration of the parties' briefs and arguments after a hearing, the trial court granted the motion for summary judgment of Garnishee and denied the motion for summary judgment of Creditor, holding:
Creditor appeals, and the matter stands submitted on the trial court record.
¶ 6 "A garnishment proceeding may be decided by summary process resulting in a post-judgment order where it appears there is no dispute as to any identified material fact or inference to be drawn therefrom and all material facts are stipulated or otherwise established." O'Neill v. Long, 2002 OK 63, ¶ 9, 54 P.3d 109, 112. (Footnote omitted.) "These legal rulings are reviewable de novo, independent of and without deference to the trial court." Id. (Emphasis original.)
¶ 7 Issues of statutory construction likewise present questions of law that we review de novo. Stump v. Cheek, 2007 OK 97, ¶ 9, 179 P.3d 606, 609. Apparently "[c]onflicting legislative acts should be construed in such a way as to reconcile the provisions and render them consistent and harmonious, giving force and effect to each." Strong v. Laubach, 2004 OK 21, ¶ 9, 89 P.3d 1066, 1070. (Citation omitted.)
¶ 8 In this respect, § 1171.2(B) of title 12, O.S., provides:
Section 1173.4(I)(1) of title 12, O.S., then provides:
¶ 9 By § 1171.2(B)(1), the Oklahoma Legislature has clearly authorized the withholding of up to 50% of a person's disposable weekly earnings for child support. When a person subject to an income assignment for child support is garnished, § 1173.4(I)(1) permits the garnishee to withhold for the creditor
¶ 10 Section 1171.4(I)(1) clearly authorizes the withholding of more than 25% of an obligor's disposable weekly earnings for child support. Section 1173.2(I)(1) further clearly authorizes the garnishee to withhold for an ordinary judgment creditor that percentage of an obligor's disposable weekly earnings representing the difference between the percentage of an obligor's disposable weekly earnings allowed for child support under § 1171.2(B) and the percentage the obligor's disposable weekly earnings actually withheld and paid for child support, but "not to exceed twenty-five percent (25%)."
¶ 11 In this respect, the 25% provision of § 1173.4(I)(1) may be construed to limit the garnishee from withholding that percentage of the calculated difference between the percentage of an obligor's disposable weekly earnings allowed for child support and the percentage the obligor's disposable weekly earnings actually withheld and paid for child support which exceeds 25% of the obligor's total disposable weekly earnings.
¶ 12 However, Garnishee argues the 25% limitation is entirely consistent with the cited sections of the CCPA and implementing regulations
¶ 13 In the present case, the CCPA protects more of Defendant's income than would § 1173.4, and the CCPA applies. Defendant's income assignment for child support absorbs more than 25% of his disposable earnings. Consequently, Defendant has no disposable earnings to be withheld pursuant to Creditor's garnishment summons. The trial court did not err in granting the motion for summary judgment of Garnishee, and in denying the motion for summary judgment of Creditor.
¶ 14 The order of the trial court is AFFIRMED.
HETHERINGTON, V.C.J., and BUETTNER, J., concur.
Similarly, if the obligor has disposable weekly earnings of $100, and is subject to child support withholding of $40, or 40% of his disposable weekly earnings as allowed by § 1173.4(I)(1), pursuant to § 1171.2(B), the garnishee would calculate available earnings of the obligor by deducting from the 50% maximum percentage of the obligor's weekly earnings available for child support ($50) the 40% of the obligor's weekly earnings actually paid ($40), leaving 10% ($10) to be withheld by the garnishee, and 10% or $10 being less than the 25% limit of § 1173.4(I)(1), the garnishee could withhold all 10%, ($10) for the garnishing creditor as not exceeding 25% of the obligor's gross weekly disposable earnings.