Mayoral Write-in Candidate Dylan Manna Hit With 11 Garnishments Related to Over $125K of Debts

P.D. Lesko

As of the time of his recent public announcement to run as a write-in candidate for Mayor, U-M visiting scholar Dylan Manna had four open garnishments entered into the records of Ann Arbor’s 15th District Court.

Manna alleges that, “I have not been contacted by the 15th District Court of Ann Arbor since 2009, 13 years ago, when I lost my income.” He went on to say, “During the financial crisis of 2008-2009, I lost my income and defaulted on some of my consumer debt. Since that time, I have made agreements with all parties I could not previously pay and, consequently, no longer have any outstanding payments due to any creditor.”

The most recent writs of periodic garnishment issued by the Court against Manna were dated 10/19/22 and 9/1/22. Between 2013 and 2017, the Court issued writs of garnishment of Manna’s income tax returns. Those garnished tax returns totaled $3,689 toward a 2013 default judgement in the amount of $12,472.67.

Manna was the subject of legal actions initiated by Midland Funding, LLC, a collections agency located in California. Default judgements totaling more than $125,000 in unpaid debts resulted in 11 garnishment orders. In Michigan, a garnishment order remains active for ten years.

The candidate says he is working toward a doctorate in Physics. The U-M Physics Dept. website lists Manna as a visiting scholar. He is not listed as a current researcher, faculty member, lecturer or graduate student.

“Contrary to your research, I have not had any of my salary garnished at any point in my employment history,” said Manna.

According to 15th District Court records, there are four open writs of garnishment which total $45,409.16 targeting Manna.

As for why he’s running, Dylan Manna said, “In part, it is my economic status that has led me to enter the Ann Arbor Mayoral race as I believe the current political discourse largely neglects the residents of the city who have neither property nor large salaries.”

Manna also said, “I believe it is valuable and ethical to be transparent about my finances, especially given the lack of attention given to those less fiscally fortunate. My primary motivation to return to Ann Arbor was to finish my Ph.D. at the University of Michigan and am grateful to have been provided funding to do the requisite research. However, it is important for people, especially students, to know that public service is not limited to the wealthy. After the presidential election of 2016, when a self-proclaimed billionaire became president, I vowed to step up and be a voice of reason in the public sphere and now, six years later, have become a write-in candidate for the Mayor of Ann Arbor, not as a magnate, but as a humanitarian.”

As the subject of four open writs of garnishment, If Dylan Manna were elected Mayor, his part-time salary of $46,317 could be garnished, as would his income tax returns, as per the 15th District Court’s 10/19/22 writ of income tax return garnishment.