Opinion ID: 1636991
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Garnishment Statute

Text: Garnishment is a creature of statute, unknown at common law. Robinson v. Robinson, 154 Fla. 464, 18 So.2d 29, 31 (1944). It is authorized as a method of collecting a monetary judgment against a defendant. In Florida, the right to garnishment is created under section 77.01, which states in relevant part: Every person or entity who has sued to recover a debt or has recovered judgment in any court against any person or entity has a right to a writ of garnishment, in the manner hereinafter provided, to subject any debt due to defendant by a third person or any debt not evidenced by a negotiable instrument that will become due absolutely through the passage of time only to the defendant by a third person, and any tangible or intangible personal property of defendant in the possession or control of a third person. (Emphasis added.) Once a garnishee receives the writ, the garnishee must answer the plaintiff within twenty days and state whether he or she is indebted to defendant at the time of the answer, or was indebted at the time of service of the writ, or at any time between such times; and in what sum and what tangible or intangible personal property of defendant the garnishee has in his or her possession or control at the time of his or her answer, or had at the time of the service of the writ, or at any time between such times; and whether the garnishee knows of any other person indebted to defendant, or who may have any of the property of defendant in his or her possession or control. § 77.04, Fla. Stat. (2002). In addition to filing the answer, the garnishee is required to retain . . . any deposit, account, or tangible or intangible personal property in the possession or control of such garnishee until disposition or dissolution of the writ. § 77.06(2), Fla. Stat. (2002). If a garnishee fails to retain the property of the defendant or otherwise comply with the writ, the plaintiff may obtain a monetary judgment against the garnishee. See § 77.081(1)-(2), Fla. Stat. (2002). On the other hand, the Legislature, in recognizing the risk of liability for a garnishee, has provided immunity for any garnishee acting in good faith. Section 77.06(3), Florida Statutes (2002), states: In any case where a garnishee in good faith is in doubt as to whether any indebtedness or property is required by law to be included in the garnishee's answer or retained by it, the garnishee may include and retain the same, subject to the provisions of s. 77.19[ [1] ] and subject to disposition as provided in this chapter, and in such case the garnishee shall not be liable for so doing to the defendant or to any other person claiming the same or any interest therein or claiming to have sustained damage on account thereof. (Emphasis added.) This section acts as a shield from liability for garnishees who have acted in good faith in accordance with their statutory responsibilities. Finally, Florida garnishment law provides for reimbursement of a garnishees attorneys fees, costs and expenses associated with complying with a garnishment writ. See § 77.28, Fla. Stat. (2002).