2007 Minnesota Statutes

571.73 PROPERTY ATTACHABLE BY GARNISHMENT; GOOD FAITH
REQUIREMENT.
    Subdivision 1. Retention obligation. Except as provided in subdivision 4 and section
571.79, service of the garnishment summons upon the garnishee shall obligate the garnishee to
retain possession and control of the disposable earnings, indebtedness, money, and property of
the debtor specified in subdivision 3, except that the garnishee shall not retain possession and
control of disposable earnings, indebtedness, money, or property of the debtor in the garnishee's
possession or under the garnishee's control in excess of 110 percent of the amount claimed by the
creditor in the garnishment summons.
    Subd. 2. Garnishee good faith requirement. The garnishee is not liable to the debtor,
creditor, or other person for wrongful retention if the garnishee retains disposable earnings,
indebtedness, money, or property of the debtor or any other person, pending the garnishee's
disclosure or consistent with the disclosure the garnishee makes, if the garnishee has a good faith
belief that the property retained is subject to the garnishment summons. In addition, the garnishee
may, at any time before or after disclosure, proceed under Rule 67 of the Minnesota Rules of Civil
Procedure for the District Courts to make deposit into court. No garnishee is liable for damages
if the garnishee complies with the provisions of this chapter.
    Subd. 3. Property attachable. Subject to the exemptions provided by sections 550.37
and 571.922 and any other applicable statute, the service of a garnishment summons under this
chapter attaches:
(1) except as otherwise provided in clause (4), all unpaid nonexempt disposable earnings
owed or to be owed by the garnishee and earned or to be earned by the debtor within the pay
period in which the garnishment summons is served and within all subsequent pay periods whose
paydays occur within the 70 days after the date of service of the garnishment summons. "Payday"
means the day upon which the garnishee pays earnings to the debtor in the ordinary course
of business. If the debtor has no regular paydays, "payday" means the 15th day and the last
day of each month;
(2) all other nonexempt indebtedness, money, or other property due or belonging to the
debtor and owing by the garnishee or in the possession or under the control of the garnishee at
the time of service of the garnishment summons, whether or not the same has become payable.
The garnishee shall not be compelled to pay or deliver the same before the time specified by
any agreement unless the agreement was fraudulently contracted to defeat a garnishment or
other collection remedy;
(3) all other nonexempt intangible or tangible personal property of the debtor in the
possession or under the control of the garnishee at the time of service of the garnishment
summons, including property of any kind due from or in the hands of an executor, administrator,
personal representative, receiver, or trustee, and all written evidences of indebtedness whether or
not negotiable or not yet underdue or overdue; and
(4) for a garnishment on a judgment for child support by a county, all unpaid nonexempt
disposable earnings owed or to be owed by the garnishee and earned or to be earned by the debtor
within the pay period in which the garnishment summons is served and within all subsequent pay
periods until the judgment is satisfied.
    Subd. 4. Property not attachable. The following property is not subject to attachment
by garnishment:
(1) any indebtedness, money, or other property due to the debtor, unless at the time of the
garnishment summons the same is due absolutely or does not depend upon any contingency;
(2) any judgment in favor of the debtor against the garnishee, if the garnishee or the
garnishee's property is liable on an execution levy upon the judgment;
(3) any debt owed by the garnishee to the debtor for which any negotiable instrument has
been issued or endorsed by the garnishee;
(4) any indebtedness, money, or other property due to the debtor where the debtor is a
bank, savings bank, trust company, credit union, savings association, or industrial loan and thrift
companies with deposit liabilities;
(5) any indebtedness, money, or other property due to the debtor with a cumulative value
of less than $10; and
(6) any disposable earnings, indebtedness, money, or property that is exempt under
Minnesota or federal law.
History: 1990 c 606 art 3 s 5; 1993 c 156 s 16; 1995 c 202 art 1 s 25