Any debt or liability of a participant to the fund or to the city shall be offset against, recouped from, and deducted from, any amount due from the fund to the employee member or those claiming under him or her either as return of contributions or as disability or retirement payments or death benefits, and only the balance, if any, shall be payable by the fund.
Ala. Code § 45-37A-51.280 (1975)