Creditor's Rights Flashcards
What is detinue/writ of attachment?
P obtains a lien on the defendant’s property before judgment to satisfy an anticipated money judgment
What are the grounds for attachment?
- defendant is a non-resident of Virginia
- defendant made or is about to make a fraudulent conveyance
- defendant has removed or is about to remove his property from the state
- defendant has concealed or is about to conceal his property with the intent to hinder or delay creditors
- defendant has left or is about to leave VA with intent to change his domicle
when does the lien attach?
When the sheriff makes a proper levy (takes possession)
When does the attachment lien attach to real property?
- a copy of the attachment is served on the person in possession; and
- the officer’s return (document prepared by the sheriff) describes the property
When is the lien consumated? what does that do?
final judgment makes the lien consumate
consumation gives the creditor priority against third parties back to the time of attachment
what is a memorandum of lis pendens
to be effective against a BFP, creditor must file a lis pendens
- document placed in the real estate recording office indicating that real property is subject to litigation
What does a P need to do to get detinue/writ of attachment?
- file with a judge
- allege specific facts, not blanket allegations
- judge will have an ex parte hearing
- D has 10 days to challenge the lien. D can quash the lien if:
- lien is invalid (proper ground was not laid)
- lien is unsupported
- P is unlikely to prevail in the underlying suit
what are the 5 exceptions from detinue?
- personal injury actions
- tenancy by the entirety property
- homestead exemption
- poor debtor’s exemption
- exemption from garnishment of earnings or wages
What is the homestead exemption from detinue?
VA residents only
$25,000 (residence)
$5,000 any property
$500 every dependent
must file a homestead deed for claimed real estate where it is located
personal property - where debtor resides
takes priority over all creditors
When can the homestead exemption not be claimed
- purchase money mortgage or security interest in property
- spousal or child support allegations
- intentional tort claims IRS claims
What is the poor debtor’s exemption?
everyone can claim this
$1,000 apparel $5,000 goods $10,000 tools of the trade $6,000 vehicles $5,000 heirlooms
What is the garnishment exemption for detinue
garnishments cannot exceed lesser of 25% of wages or amount 40 times the effective federal minimum hourly wage
What is the persona injury exemption?
proceeds are exempted - your body can’t be used to satisfy your creditors
What is the tenancy by the entirety exemption
exempt against all but joint creditors - both real and personal property can be held in the entirety
What is the process of enforcing a money judgment?
a public act is required to give third parties notice of the judgment creditor’s interest in the property. when the public act occurs the creditor’s lien arises
Duration of judgment creditor’s rights
20 years from the judgment if before July 1, 2021 or 10 years if after July 1, 2021
domesticating sister state judgments
(1) register the judgment in the office of the clerk of the court where enforcement is sought; (2) notify the defendant of the registration in writing
Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act
What is docketing?
filed with the real estate recording system and becomes visible - public act
- first to docket has priority
How to docket a judgment lien on real estate?
- judgment is automatically docketed by the clerk of the court in the county where the judgment is rendered
- judgment from another county is docketed by filing a copy of the judgment with the county clerk where enforcement is sought
- a judgment lien is a floating lien on all non-exempt real property in the county. automatically attaches to after-acquired property
- lien attaches only to debtor’s interest in property and doesn’t attach to a tenancy by entirety
How long is a judgment lien on real estate docketed for?
20 years but can be redocketed indefinitely
exemption for property sold to third party (real estate judgment liens)
- lien on the judgment debtor’s real property must be enforced within 10 years of the debtor’s sale to any purchaser -creditor must file a lis pendens within 10 year period to enforcce the lien
How to enforce a judgment lien on real estate
credit must bring suit of equity in the city or county where the land is located
chancellor appoints a commissioner to determine ownership and interests in property and conducts a sale of the property
is there a right of redemption in Virginia?
No, once the creditor has a lien, the debtor may not prevent its enforcement by paying the debt