Opinion ID: 1726991
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the chancery court of adams county, mississippi, erred by allowing the respondent a stay of execution on the judgment and neglecting to add statutory interest.

Text: The lower court ordered that execution on the $5,030 judgment entered in favor of appellant be stayed so long as the defendant paid $50.00 per month on the judgment. At that rate, the judgment would not be paid in full for approximately eight (8) years, and, in computing eight percent (8%) interest, which is fixed by law, a longer period of time would be required. This question has been decided in Walters v. Walters, supra , where the Court stated: The chancellor was in error in granting a stay of execution on the judgment for $3,350 past-due child support for so long as he pays unto the said Betty Sue Walters Young the sum of $25.00 per month toward payment of such judgment. At this rate of payment it would take about 11 1/2 years to pay out the judgment which would extend beyond the time that Dwayne Walters reached his majority. In the meantime, the appellant is being denied the right to attempt to collect the judgment through the normal collection processes, that is, writ of garnishment or writ of execution, or even the right to negotiate a mutually satisfactory plan of payment with the appellee. The chancellor was also in error in not providing for the payment of 8% per annum interest on the past due amount so adjudged on December 16, 1978. Mississippi Code Annotated § 75-17-7 (1979 Supp.) provides in part: All other judgments and decrees shall bear interest at the rate of eight percentum (8%) per annum. 383 So.2d at 829. The lower court erred in ordering a stay of execution on the judgment and his action in so doing is reversed and judgment is rendered here voiding the stay of execution.