CHAPTER 4.  GARNISHMENT UNDER A

WRIT OF FIERI FACIAS

Art. 2411.  Garnishee; effect of service; financial institutions

A.  The judgment creditor, by petition and after the issuance of a writ of fieri facias, may cause a third person to be cited as a garnishee to declare under oath what property he has in his possession or under his control belonging to the judgment debtor and in what amount he is indebted to him, even though the debt may not be due.  He may require the third person to answer categorically and under oath the interrogatories annexed to the petition within the delay provided by Article 2412.

B.(1) The seizure shall take effect upon service of the petition, citation, interrogatories, and a notice of seizure, as required by Article 2412(A)(1).

(2)  For wage garnishments subject to the provisions of R.S. 13:3921 et seq., if the garnishee or judgment debtor files no opposition to the garnishment proceedings, and the garnishee answers the garnishment interrogatories affirmatively as to the employment of the judgment debtor by the garnishee, and the garnisher fails to obtain a garnishment judgment within one hundred eighty days of the filing of the answers to the interrogatories, all effects of the seizure by garnishment shall automatically cease upon the lapse of the one hundred eightieth day, and the garnisher shall be required to re-serve the garnishee pursuant to R.S. 13:3923 and 3924.

C.  Other than as provided in R.S. 13:3921 et seq. applicable to garnishments of wages, a garnishment shall not be continuing in nature and the garnishee need only respond as to property of the judgment debtor that the garnishee has in his possession or under his control at the time the garnishment interrogatories are served on him.

D.  Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, when the garnishee is a bank, savings and loan association, or credit union, the garnishee may continue to pay checks and drafts drawn on the judgment debtor's deposit accounts maintained with the garnishee that are presented for payment in the ordinary course of business on the day garnishment interrogatories are served upon the garnishee or on the next business day thereafter, without incurring any liability or obligation in favor of the judgment creditor or any other third party.

Acts 1989, No. 742, §1; Acts 1999, No. 887, §1; Acts 2004, No. 18, §1.