Title 8.01, Civil Remedies and Procedure

The summons in garnishment, whether issued by a circuit court or a district court, may be directed to a sheriff of any county or city wherein the judgment debtor resides or where the garnishment defendant resides or where either may be found and shall be made returnable to the co…

A person so summoned shall appear in person and be examined on oath or he may file a statement. A corporation so summoned shall appear by an authorized agent who shall be examined on oath or may file a statement, not under seal of such authorized agent. Such statement shall show …

A. If the amount of liability is not disputed and the garnishee admits liability to the court either by (i) examination on the return date of the summons, or (ii) written statement as provided by § 8.01-515 on or before the return date of the summons, the court shall order the de…

Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 8.01-515 and 8.01-516.1, any employer against whom any garnishment is served in connection with an action or judgment against an employee may pay to such employee when due wages or salary not exceeding the amount exempted by § 34-29 unless suc…

If the person so summoned be the personal representative of a decedent, he shall answer in writing whether or not there is in his hands in his fiduciary capacity, any sum of money owing to the judgment debtor, and if so, the amount thereof, if the same has been definitely determi…

If the garnishee, after being served with the summons, fail to appear or answer personally, or if it be suggested that he has not fully disclosed his liability, the proceedings shall be according to §§ 8.01-564 and 8.01-565, mutatis mutandis, except that when the summons is befor…

Any person, summoned under § 8.01-511, before the return day of the summons, may pay what he is liable for to the clerk of the court issuing the summons and such clerk shall give a receipt, upon request, for what is so paid.

Unless the garnishee appear to be liable for more than is so delivered and paid, there shall be no judgment against him for costs. In other cases, judgment under §§ 8.01-516.1 and 8.01-519 may be for such costs, and against such party, as the court may deem just.

Unless otherwise exempted, the wages and salaries of all employees of this Commonwealth, other than State officers, shall be subject to garnishment or execution upon any judgment rendered against them. Whenever the salary or wages of such employees as above mentioned shall be gar…

A. If the suggestion of liability as provided in § 8.01-511 is against the United States of America, the summons shall be served upon the managing employee of the agency of the federal government which is alleged to be liable, or, if the judgment debtor is a member of the armed f…

Unless otherwise exempt, the wages and salaries of all officials, clerks and employees of any city, town or county shall be subject to garnishment or execution upon any judgment rendered against them.

All officers, clerks and employees who hold their office by virtue of authority from the General Assembly or by virtue of city, town or county authority whether by election or appointment and who receive compensation for their services from the moneys of such city, town or county…

The sheriff or other officer levying a writ of fieri facias, or distress warrant, may take from the debtor a bond, with sufficient surety, payable to the creditor, reciting the service of such writ or warrant, and the amount due thereon, including the officer's fee for taking the…

If the condition of such forthcoming bond be not performed, the officer, unless payment be made of the amount due on the execution or warrant, including his fee, commission, and charges as aforesaid, shall, after the bond is forfeited, return it forthwith, with the execution or w…

The obligors in such forfeited bond shall be liable for the money therein mentioned, with interest thereon from the date of the bond till paid, and the costs. The obligee or his personal representative shall be entitled to recover the same by action or motion.

Upon the return of a forthcoming bond to the clerk's office in the manner prescribed by § 8.01-527, it shall be the duty of the clerk to endorse thereon the date of such return, and his fee as provided by law for recordation of items specified herein, and to record in a book to b…

If any forthcoming bond be at any time quashed, the obligee, besides his remedy against the officer, may have such execution on his judgment, or issue such distress warrant, as would have been lawful if such bond had not been taken.

No bond for the forthcoming of property shall be taken: 1. On an execution on a forthcoming bond; 2. On an execution on a judgment against (i) a treasurer, sheriff, or a deputy of either of them, or a surety or personal representative of either such officer or deputy, for money r…

The obligee in a forthcoming bond, or his agent, may, at any time after the record of such bond is made by the clerk, required by § 8.01-529, withdraw the same from the clerk's office, leaving a copy thereof attested by the clerk.

If any person has a claim, legal or equitable, to (i) any specific personal property, (ii) any debt, including rent, whether the debt is due and payable or not, (iii) damages for breach of any contract, express or implied, or (iv) damages for a wrong, or for a judgment for which …

A. It shall be sufficient ground for an action for pretrial levy or seizure or an attachment that the principal defendant or one of the principal defendants: 1. Is a foreign corporation, or is not a resident of this Commonwealth, and has estate or has debts owing to such defendan…

Except as provided in § 16.1-77 the jurisdiction of attachments under this chapter shall be in the circuit courts. The trial or hearing of the issues, except as otherwise provided, shall be the same, as near as may be, as in actions in personam.

No pleading on behalf of the plaintiff shall be necessary except the petition mentioned in § 8.01-537. The principal defendant, and any other defendant who seeks to defeat the petitioner's attachment, may demur to the petition, issue on which demurrer shall be deemed to be joined…

A. Every attachment shall be commenced by a petition filed before a clerk of a circuit or general district court of, or magistrate serving, the county or city in which venue is given by subdivision 11 of § 8.01-261. If it is sought to recover specific personal property, the petit…

A. The plaintiff or someone for him shall, at the time of suing out an attachment or other pretrial levy or seizure, give bond. The fact that bond has been given shall be endorsed on the process, or certified by the clerk to the serving officer. If certified by the clerk, the ser…

No attachment against any ship, boat, or other vessel of more than twenty tons, shall issue unless the plaintiff or someone in his behalf, shall first establish, to the satisfaction of the court in which he files his petition for attachment that he has a reasonable expectation of…

A person against whom the plaintiff is asserting the claim shall be made a defendant to the petition, and shall be known as a principal defendant. There shall also be made a defendant any person indebted to or having in his possession property, real or personal, belonging to a pr…

A judge of, or a magistrate serving, the court in which a petition for attachment is filed shall make an ex parte review of the petition. The judge or magistrate shall issue an attachment in accordance with the prayer of the petition only upon a determination that (i) there is re…

Any attachment issued under this chapter may be directed to the sheriff of any county or city. Except when otherwise provided, it shall be returnable to the office of the clerk of court wherein the petition has been filed not more than thirty days from its date of issuance.

Such attachment may be issued or executed on any day, including a Sunday or holiday.

Upon the written application of the plaintiff, his agent or attorney, other attachments founded on the original petition may be issued from time to time by the clerk of the court in which the original attachment is pending, and the same may be directed, executed, and returned in …

When an attachment is returned not served on a principal defendant, whether levied on property or not, further attachments and summonses may be issued until service is obtained on him, if he be a resident of the Commonwealth. If for any cause service cannot be had in the Commonwe…

Such amendments shall be allowed of the petition, answer and of any of the other proceedings in the attachment as shall be conducive to the attainment of the ends of substantial justice, and upon such terms as to continuance and costs as may seem proper. An amendment when made sh…

Every attachment sued out against specific personal property shall command the sheriff or other officer to whom it may be directed to attach the specific property claimed in the petition, and so much more of the real and personal property of the principal defendant as shall be ne…

The form for requesting a hearing or a claim for exemption from levy or seizure shall be designed by the Supreme Court and provided to all courts which may issue attachments and to all magistrates.

A judgment debtor shall have the right to a hearing on his claim of exemption from levy or seizure. If a defendant files a request for a hearing, the clerk shall (i) schedule a hearing no later than ten business days from the date that the request is filed with the court, and (ii…

If the attachment be against a principal defendant who is a nonresident or an absconding debtor, the attachment may also direct the sheriff or other officer to levy the same on any remainder, vested or contingent, of the principal defendant, or so much thereof as may be sufficien…

An attachment may be levied upon any estate of the defendant, whether the same be in the county or city in which the attachment issued, or in any other, either by the officer of the county or city wherein the attachment issued, or by the officer of the county or city where the es…

The court may interpose by a restraining order, or the appointment of a receiver, or otherwise, to secure the forthcoming of the specific property sued for, and so much other estate as will probably be required to satisfy any further order that may be made in the proceedings.

An attachment may be levied as follows: On tangible personal property in possession of a principal defendant, whether such possession be actual or constructive, it may be levied as at common law or by delivering a copy of the attachment to such principal defendant or, if possessi…

If so requested by the plaintiff in his petition, the officer to whom the attachment is directed shall take possession of the property specified in the attachment, or when no such property is specified, of any estate or effects of the defendant, or so much thereof as is sufficien…

Any property levied on or seized as aforesaid, under any attachment, may be retained by or returned to the defendant or other person in whose possession it was on his giving bond, with condition to have the same forthcoming at such time and place as the court may require. In the …

Every such bond shall be returned by the officer to and filed by the clerk of the court in which the attachment is pending, or to which the attachment is returnable, and the plaintiff may, within thirty days after the return thereof, file exceptions to the same, or to the suffici…

When judgment in favor of the plaintiff is rendered by a general district court in any case in which an attachment is issued and on appeal therefrom to a circuit court an appeal bond is given, with condition to prosecute the appeal with effect or pay the debt, interest, costs and…

Any bond authorized or required by any section of this chapter may be given either by the party himself or by any other person.

The plaintiff shall have a lien from the time of the levying of such attachment, or serving a copy thereof as aforesaid, upon the personal property of the principal defendant, when the same is in his possession, actual or constructive, and upon the personal property, choses in ac…