Section 2716.13. [See notes for adjustments for inflation] Hearing on motion for garnishment of property, other than personal earnings of judgment debtor

(A) Upon the filing of a proceeding in garnishment of property, other than personal earnings, under section 2716.11 of the Revised Code, the court shall cause the matter to be set for hearing within twelve days after that filing.

(B) Upon the scheduling of a hearing relative to a proceeding in garnishment of property, other than personal earnings, under division (A) of this section, the clerk of the court immediately shall issue to the garnishee three copies of the order of garnishment of property, other than personal earnings, and of a written notice that the garnishee answer as provided in section 2716.21 of the Revised Code and the garnishee's fee required by section 2716.12 of the Revised Code. The copies of the order and of the notice shall be served upon the garnishee in the same manner as a summons is served and the clerk shall also mail a copy of the order and notice of garnishment to the garnishee by ordinary or regular mail service. The copies of the order and of the notice shall not be served later than seven days prior to the date on which the hearing is scheduled. The order shall bind the property in excess of four hundred dollars, other than personal earnings, of the judgment debtor in the possession of the garnishee at the time of service. Any garnishee that garnishes the property, other than personal earnings, of a judgment debtor in good faith reliance upon the order and notice of garnishment received by ordinary or regular mail service shall not be liable for damages in any civil action.

The order of garnishment of property, other than personal earnings, and notice to answer shall be in substantially the following form:

"ORDER AND NOTICE OF GARNISHMENT OF PROPERTY OTHER THAN PERSONAL EARNINGS AND ANSWER OF GARNISHEE

Docket No. ...................

Case No. .....................

In the ................. Court

........................, Ohio

The State of Ohio

County of ............, ss

..................., Judgment Creditor vs .

..................., Judgment Debtor

SECTION A. COURT ORDER AND NOTICE OF GARNISHMENT

To: ...................., Garnishee

The judgment creditor in the above case has filed an affidavit, satisfactory to the undersigned, in this Court stating that you may have money, property, or credits, other than personal earnings, in your hands or under your control that belong to the judgment debtor.

You are therefore ordered to complete the "ANSWER OF GARNISHEE" in section (B) of this form. Return one completed and signed copy of this form to the clerk of this court together with the amount determined in accordance with the "ANSWER OF GARNISHEE" by the following date on which a hearing is tentatively scheduled relative to this order of garnishment: ............ Deliver one completed and signed copy of this form to the judgment debtor prior to that date. Keep the other completed and signed copy of this form for your files.

The total probable amount now due on this judgment is $.......... The total probable amount now due includes the unpaid portion of the judgment in favor of the judgment creditor, which is $..........; interest on that judgment and, if applicable, prejudgment interest relative to that judgment at the rate of .....% per annum payable until that judgment is satisfied in full; and court costs in the amount of $...........

You also are ordered to hold safely anything of value that belongs to the judgment debtor and that has to be paid to the court, as determined under the "ANSWER OF GARNISHEE" in section (B) of this form, but that is of such a nature that it cannot be so delivered, until further order of the court.

Witness my hand and the seal of this court this .......... day of .........., ..........

.........................

Judge

SECTION B. ANSWER OF GARNISHEE

Now comes .................... the garnishee, who says:

1. That the garnishee has more than $400 in money, property, or credits, other than personal earnings, of the judgment debtor under the garnishee's control and in the garnishee's possession.

............... ............... ...................yes no if yes, amount over $400

2. That property is described as:

3. If the answer to line 1 is "yes" and the amount is less than the probable amount now due on the judgment, as indicated in section (A) of this form, sign and return this form and pay the amount of line 1 to the clerk of this court.

4. If the answer to line 1 is "yes" and the amount is greater than that probable amount now due on the judgment, as indicated in section (A) of this form, sign and return this form and pay that probable amount now due to the clerk of this court.

5. If the answer to line 1 is "yes" but the money, property, or credits are of such a nature that they cannot be delivered to the clerk of the court, indicate that by placing an "X" in this space: ...... Do not dispose of that money, property, or credits or give them to anyone else until further order of the court.

6. If the answer to line 1 is "no," sign and return this form to the clerk of this court.

I certify that the statements above are true.

..............................

(Print Name of Garnishee)

..............................

(Print Name and Title of Person Who Completed Form)

Signed........................................................

(Signature of Person Completing Form)

Dated this .......... day of .........., ....."

Section A of the form described in this division shall be completed before service. Section B of the form shall be completed by the garnishee, and the garnishee shall file one completed and signed copy of the form with the clerk of the court as the garnishee's answer. The garnishee may keep one completed and signed copy of the form and shall deliver the other completed and signed copy of the form to the judgment debtor.

If several affidavits seeking orders of garnishment of property, other than personal earnings, are filed against the same judgment debtor in accordance with section 2716.11 of the Revised Code, the court involved shall issue the requested orders in the same order in which the clerk received the associated affidavits.

(C)

(1) At the time of the filing of a proceeding in garnishment of property, other than personal earnings, under section 2716.11 of the Revised Code, the judgment creditor also shall file with the clerk of the court a praecipe instructing the clerk to issue to the judgment debtor a notice to the judgment debtor form and a request for hearing form. Upon receipt of the praecipe and the scheduling of a hearing relative to an action in garnishment of property, other than personal earnings, under division (A) of this section, the clerk of the court immediately shall serve upon the judgment debtor, in accordance with division (D) of this section, two copies of the notice to the judgment debtor form and of the request for hearing form. The copies of the notice to the judgment debtor form and of the request for hearing form shall not be served later than seven days prior to the date on which the hearing is scheduled.

(a) The notice to the judgment debtor that must be served upon the judgment debtor shall be in substantially the following form:

"(Name and Address of the Court)

(Case Caption) ......................... Case No. .............

NOTICE TO THE JUDGMENT DEBTOR

You are hereby notified that this court has issued an order in the above case in favor of (name and address of judgment creditor), the judgment creditor in this proceeding, directing that some of your money in excess of four hundred dollars, property, or credits, other than personal earnings, that now may be in the possession of (name and address of garnishee), the garnishee in this proceeding, be used to satisfy your debt to the judgment creditor. This order was issued on the basis of the judgment creditor's judgment against you that was obtained in (name of court) in (case number) on (date). Upon your receipt of this notice, you are prohibited from removing or attempting to remove the money, property, or credits until expressly permitted by the court. Any violation of this prohibition subjects you to punishment for contempt of court.

The law of Ohio and the United States provides that certain benefit payments cannot be taken from you to pay a debt. Typical among the benefits that cannot be attached or executed upon by a creditor are the following:

(1) Workers' compensation benefits;

(2) Unemployment compensation payments;

(3) Cash assistance payments under the Ohio works first program;

(4) Benefits and services under the prevention, retention, and contingency program;

(5) Disability financial assistance administered by the Ohio department of job and family services;

(6) Social security benefits;

(7) Supplemental security income (S.S.I.);

(8) Veteran's benefits;

(9) Black lung benefits;

(10) Certain pensions.

There may be other benefits not included in the above list that apply in your case.

If you dispute the judgment creditor's right to garnish your property and believe that the judgment creditor should not be given your money, property, or credits, other than personal earnings, now in the possession of the garnishee because they are exempt or if you feel that this order is improper for any other reason, you may request a hearing before this court by disputing the claim in the request for hearing form, appearing below, or in a substantially similar form, and delivering the request for hearing to this court at the above address, at the office of the clerk of this court no later than the end of the fifth business day after you receive this notice. You may state your reasons for disputing the judgment creditor's right to garnish your property in the space provided on the form; however, you are not required to do so. If you do state your reasons for disputing the judgment creditor's right, you are not prohibited from stating any other reason at the hearing. If you do not state your reasons, it will not be held against you by the court, and you can state your reasons at the hearing. NO OBJECTIONS TO THE JUDGMENT ITSELF WILL BE HEARD OR CONSIDERED AT THE HEARING. If you request a hearing, the hearing will be limited to a consideration of the amount of your money, property, or credits, other than personal earnings, in the possession or control of the garnishee, if any, that can be used to satisfy all or part of the judgment you owe to the judgment creditor.

If you request a hearing by delivering your request for hearing no later than the end of the fifth business day after you receive this notice, it will be conducted in .......... courtroom .........., (address of court), at ..... m. on .........., .......... You may request the court to conduct the hearing before this date by indicating your request in the space provided on the form; the court then will send you notice of any change in the date, time, or place of the hearing. If you do not request a hearing by delivering your request for a hearing no later than the end of the fifth business day after you receive this notice, some of your money, property, or credits, other than personal earnings, will be paid to the judgment creditor.

If you have any questions concerning this matter, you may contact the office of the clerk of this court. If you want legal representation, you should contact your lawyer immediately. If you need the name of a lawyer, contact the local bar association.

..............................

Clerk of the Court

..............................

Date"

(b) The request for hearing form that must be served upon the judgment debtor shall have attached to it a postage-paid, self-addressed envelope or shall be on a postage-paid self-addressed postcard, and shall be in substantially the following form:

"(Name and Address of Court)

Case Number ........................... Date ....................

REQUEST FOR HEARING

I dispute the judgment creditor's right to garnish my money, property, or credits, other than personal earnings, in the above case and request that a hearing in this matter be held

..................................................................

(Insert "on" or "earlier than") the date and time set forth in the document entitled "NOTICE TO THE JUDGMENT DEBTOR" that I received with this request form.

I dispute the judgment creditor's right to garnish my property for the following reasons:

..................................................................

(Optional)

..................................................................

..................................................................

I UNDERSTAND THAT NO OBJECTIONS TO THE JUDGMENT ITSELF WILL BE HEARD OR CONSIDERED AT THE HEARING.

..............................

(Name of Judgment Debtor)

..............................

(Signature)

..............................

(Date)

WARNING: IF YOU DO NOT DELIVER THIS REQUEST FOR HEARING OR A REQUEST IN A SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR FORM TO THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THIS COURT WITHIN FIVE (5) BUSINESS DAYS OF YOUR RECEIPT OF IT, YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO A HEARING AND SOME OF YOUR MONEY, PROPERTY, OR CREDITS, OTHER THAN PERSONAL EARNINGS, NOW IN THE POSSESSION OF (GARNISHEE'S NAME) WILL BE PAID TO (JUDGMENT CREDITOR'S NAME) TO SATISFY SOME OF YOUR DEBT TO (JUDGMENT CREDITOR'S NAME)."

(2) The judgment debtor may receive a hearing in accordance with this division by delivering a written request for hearing to the court within five business days after receipt of the notice provided pursuant to division (C)(1) of this section. The request may set forth the judgment debtor's reasons for disputing the judgment creditor's right to garnish the money, property, or credits, other than personal earnings; however, neither the judgment debtor's inclusion of nor failure to include those reasons upon the request constitutes a waiver of any defense of the judgment debtor or affects the judgment debtor's right to produce evidence at the hearing. If the request is made by the judgment debtor within the prescribed time, the hearing shall be limited to a consideration of the amount of money, property, or credits, other than personal earnings, of the judgment debtor in the hands of the garnishee, if any, that can be used to satisfy all or part of the debt owed by the judgment debtor to the judgment creditor. If a request for a hearing is not received by the court within the prescribed time, the hearing scheduled pursuant to division (A) of this section shall be canceled unless the court grants the judgment debtor a continuance in accordance with division (C)(3) of this section.

(3) If the judgment debtor does not request a hearing in the action within the prescribed time pursuant to division (C)(2) of this section, the court nevertheless may grant a continuance of the scheduled hearing if the judgment debtor, prior to the time at which the hearing was scheduled, as indicated on the notice to the judgment debtor required by division (C)(1) of this section, establishes a reasonable justification for failure to request the hearing within the prescribed time. If the court grants a continuance of the hearing, it shall cause the matter to be set for hearing as soon as practicable thereafter. The continued hearing shall be conducted in accordance with division (C)(2) of this section.

(4) The court may conduct the hearing on the matter prior to the time at which the hearing was scheduled, as indicated on the notice to the judgment debtor required by division (C)(1) of this section, upon the request of the judgment debtor. The parties shall be sent notice, by the clerk of the court, by regular mail, of any change in the date, time, or place of the hearing.

(5) If the scheduled hearing is canceled and no continuance is granted, the court shall issue an order to the garnishee to pay all or some of the money, property, or credits, other than personal earnings, of the judgment debtor in the possession of the garnishee at the time of service of the notice and order into court if they have not already been paid to the court. This order shall be based on the answer of the garnishee filed pursuant to this section. If the scheduled hearing is conducted or if it is continued and conducted, the court shall determine at the hearing the amount of the money, property, or credits, other than personal earnings, of the judgment debtor in the possession of the garnishee at the time of service of the notice and order, if any, that can be used to satisfy all or part of the debt owed by the judgment debtor to the judgment creditor, and issue an order, accordingly, to the garnishee to pay that amount into court if it has not already been paid to the court.

(D) The notice to the judgment debtor form and the request for hearing form described in division (C) of this section shall be sent by the clerk by ordinary or regular mail service unless the judgment creditor requests that service be made in accordance with the Rules of Civil Procedure, in which case the forms shall be served in accordance with the Rules of Civil Procedure. Any court of common pleas that issues an order of garnishment of property, other than personal earnings, under this section has jurisdiction to serve process pursuant to this section upon a garnishee who does not reside within the jurisdiction of the court. Any county court or municipal court that issues an order of garnishment of property, other than personal earnings, under this section has jurisdiction to serve process pursuant to this section upon a garnishee who does not reside within the jurisdiction of the court.

Effective Date: 06-26-2003; 2008 SB281 09-30-2008