§2361 — Title 28 Judiciary and Judicial Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

A federal court in an interpleader case can order all claimants to stop any other lawsuits about the disputed property, document, or debt until the court decides. U.S. Marshals must serve the court papers where claimants live or are found at times the court sets. The court will decide the case, may free the person who brought it from further liability, and can make the order stopping other suits permanent.

Title 28, §2361

Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In any civil action of interpleader or in the nature of interpleader under section 1335 of this title, a district court may issue its process for all claimants and enter its order restraining them from instituting or prosecuting any proceeding in any State or United States court affecting the property, instrument or obligation involved in the interpleader action until further order of the court. Such process and order shall be returnable at such time as the court or judge thereof directs, and shall be addressed to and served by the United States marshals for the respective districts where the claimants reside or may be found. Such district court shall hear and determine the case, and may discharge the plaintiff from further liability, make the injunction permanent, and make all appropriate orders to enforce its judgment.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

1948 ActBased on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 41(26) (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 24, par. 26, as added Jan. 20, 1936, ch. 13, § 1, 49 Stat. 1096). Jurisdiction and venue provisions of section 41(26) of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., appear in section 1335 and 1397 of this title. Subsection (e) of section 41(26) of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., relating to defense in nature of interpleader and joinder of additional parties, was omitted as unnecessary, such matters being governed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Words, “Notwithstanding any provision of part I of this title to the contrary” were omitted as unnecessary, since the revised title contains no “contrary provisions.” Changes were made in phraseology. 1949 ActThis section makes clear that section 2361 of title 28, U.S.C., applies only to statutory actions and not to general equity interpleader suits in which the jurisdictional amount and diversity of citizenship requirements are the same as in other diversity cases.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1949—Act May 24, 1949, substituted “In any civil action of interpleader or in the nature of interpleader under section 1335 under this title” for “In any interpleader action,”, and inserted “or prosecuting” between “instituting” and “any proceeding”.

§2361 Process and procedure