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Georgia Employer Deducting Paychecks For Accidental Customer Vehicle Damage Without Authorization

Title: Georgia employer deducting paycheck for accidental customer vehicle damage without authorization

I work at a tire/mechanic shop in Georgia making $16/hour. A few weeks ago, while moving a customer vehicle between bays during work, I accidentally backed into another customer vehicle in the parking lot. The damage was relatively minor, but I do admit the accident was my fault.

My employer deducted $100 from my paycheck labeled “Damaged Property” and told me they plan to continue deducting about $100 per paycheck because they claim I owe around $700 total.

The issue is:
- I was never asked to authorize deductions
- I never signed any repayment agreement that I know of
- I was not informed beforehand
- They simply deducted the money from payroll

The deduction did not put me below minimum wage, but it significantly reduced my paycheck.

My questions are:
1. In Georgia, can an employer legally deduct wages for accidental workplace vehicle damage without employee authorization?
2. Does it matter that I was acting within my normal job duties at the time?
3. If I quit, can they legally continue trying to collect the remaining balance?

I am gathering my onboarding paperwork now to verify whether I signed anything related to deductions.

Not looking for moral opinions — just trying to understand my legal rights and whether these payroll deductions are lawful.

Location: Georgia

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Georgia Employer Deducting Paychecks For Accidental Customer Vehicle Damage Without Authorization

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