Opinion ID: 2549094
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Writ of Execution and Related Motions

Text: In October 1992, McCurdy filed a voluntary petition for bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Hawai'i. As a result, Ditto's judgments against McCurdy were automatically stayed. On August 19, 1999, the bankruptcy court issued an order granting Ditto relief from the automatic stay. In relevant part, the order allowed Ditto to seize and auction any non-exempt items of personal property found in [McCurdy]'s residence. On November 22, 1999, Ditto, relying on the bankruptcy court's order, moved for issuance of a writ of execution pursuant to HRS § 651-32 (Supp.1998). Although McCurdy had appealed the July 1999 Judgment, Ditto argued she should not be precluded from executing on it inasmuch as McCurdy had failed to post a supersedeas bond thereon. Moreover, McCurdy's appeal did not have any effect on the Amended Judgment. That same day, the circuit court granted Ditto's motion, issuing a writ of execution that provided in part as follows: TO: THE SHERIFF OF THE STATE OF HAWAII ... MAKING SERVICE OF THIS EXECUTION: YOU ARE COMMANDED to levy upon: (1) the stock certificates of JOHN A. McCURDY, JR., M.D., F.A.C.S., INC. at 1063 Lower Main Street, Suite 225, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii 96793; and (2) any and all personal property found at Harbor Court, Apartment # 3502, 66 Queen Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, and, giving thirty (30) days previous notice as required by law, to sell the same or so much thereof as may be found necessary, at a public sale to the highest bidder, in order to satisfy judgments entered in said action against Defendant JOHN A. McCURDY, JR. in favor of Plaintiff JANIE DITTO on January 7, 1998, and July 14, 1999 as follows: Judgment entered for Plaintiff $ 1,045,606.30 Post-judgment interest of 10% from July 7, 1992 to July 7, 1998 627,363.78 Less $65,910.00 paid Post-judgment interest of 10% from July 7, 1998 to July 7, 1999 104,560.63 Final judgment entered July 14, 1999 for Plaintiff 676,700.00 Other costs and expenses -0- TOTAL $ 2,388,320.71 ============= Collect also legal interest thereon from date hereof with your costs and expenses incurred in connection with this writ of execution and make return of this writ of execution within sixty (60) days with the proceeds you collected. (Emphases added.) The record evinces that State of Hawai'i Sheriff John Kling (Sheriff Kling) tried numerous times to serve McCurdy with the writ of execution at his office in Wailuku in December 1999. Sheriff Kling was finally able to serve McCurdy on February 7, 2000. On February 8, 2000, Sheriff Kling went to the apartment at Harbor Court in Honolulu to levy the execution. However, McCurdy advised Sheriff Kling that none of the property in the residence could be seized because it was joint property. On February 9, 2000, Sheriff Kling returned to the Harbor Court apartment, whereupon a woman, identifying herself as McCurdy's wife, answered the door and stated that some of the property in the residence was joint property and some of it was owned solely by her. Nevertheless, Sheriff Kling proceeded to levy the execution, seizing 188 items. On March 6, 2000, McCurdy filed a motion to quash the writ of execution [hereinafter, motion to quash execution] on the ground that the execution failed to specify whose property at the Harbor Court apartment could be seized. On May 8, 2000, McCurdy filed a motion to quash the levy on personal property [hereinafter, motion to quash levy], asserting that the levy should be quashed insofar as it was made after the return day under the execution. The circuit court heard arguments on the motion to quash execution and the motion to quash levy on April 18, 2000, and June 1, 2000, respectively. On June 19, 2000, the circuit court denied the motion to quash execution as to the 168 items identified in the sheriff's inventory ... which [Mrs. McCurdy] claims no ownership interest in[,] and granted the motion as to the 20 items in [Sheriff Kling]'s inventory which Mrs. McCurdy claims an ownership interest in. The circuit court ordered also that the 20 items belonging to Mrs. McCurdy be returned to her immediately. On the same day, the circuit court denied McCurdy's motion to quash levy. This timely appeal followed.