Opinion ID: 2380792
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: validity of the attachment order

Text: Defendant seeks to uphold the order vacating the attachment by arguing that the original motion for an attachment should not have been granted because the accompanying affidavits supporting the motion were insufficient. Although we find that the May 15 order was not based on alleged deficiencies in the attachment, we will consider defendant's assertions. Defendant, in his motion to release the attachment, alleged numerous defects in the attachment. On appeal, he has raised only three objections: 1) that plaintiff's affidavits failed to prove, as required by M.R.Civ.P. 4A, likelihood of success on the merits of the amount which plaintiff could expect to recover and failed to allege that the affiants believed their statements to be true; 2) that the property Plumbago attached was actually in the custody of the State and therefore held by the Eagle Savings and Loan in violation of 14 M.R.S.A. §§ 8103, 8111 (1980); 3) that the writ was not issued within 30 days of authorization. Plaintiff submitted the following evidence which could have been considered by the presiding justice who granted the attachment on April 17: affidavits by the President of Plumbago stating his belief that Sweatt stole the tourmalines; affidavit indicating that Sweatt possessed some tourmaline and some stuff that was commonly known to be wrongfully taken tourmaline; an affidavit detailing the method by which tourmalines could have been stolen from the company by Sweatt; a search warrant; and evidence suggesting that the Newry mine tourmaline is unique and valuable. We conclude that the presiding justice's findings that plaintiff had proved a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits, that plaintiff had a reasonable possibility of recovery in the amount of $1,000,000.00 and that each of the affidavits contained an oath by the affiant that he believed the statements made in the affidavits to be true, as required by our decision in Northeast Investment Co. v. Leisure Living Communities, Inc., Me., 351 A.2d 845, 854 (1976), were not clearly erroneous. Defendant further argues that an attachment of State property is a violation of 14 M.R.S.A. §§ 8103, 8111. Even if the tourmalines could be considered State property after they were seized, which question we do not decide herein, the statutes relied on by defendant are not applicable to this case. Section 8103 [7] is not applicable because no governmental employees were sued in the conversion action, and section 8111, subsection 2, [8] merely forbids the use of attachment in negligence actions brought against governmental employees (i.e. troopers White and Ouellette). The complaint in the conversion action does not allege negligence and White and Ouellette were parties only in the FED action. Neither statute prohibits the attachment. Under M.R.Civ.P. 4A(c), attachments shall be made within 30 days after the order approving the writ of attachment. Defendant has challenged the timeliness of the April 24 attachment of the tourmalines. We find that plaintiff complied fully with the provisions of the rule, since the final order granting the attachment was issued on April 17, within 30 days of the making of the attachment.