House Bill 1054

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 11-35-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE FOR PERSONAL SERVICE OF WRITS OF GARNISHMENT; TO DEFINE THE RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF BANKS AS GARNISHEES; TO DEFINE THE EFFECT OF SERVICE OF WRITS OF GARNISHMENT UPON BANKS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 11-35-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

11-35-9. (1) Except as otherwise provided by Section 11-35-11, service of a writ of garnishment shall be made upon the same persons as provided in Rule 4(d) of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure and a writ of garnishment, whether issued in a case of attachment or on a judgment or decree, shall be served by a process server or by the sheriff or the constable in the same manner as is provided in Rule 4(c)(1) and (2) of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure.

(2) When a writ of garnishment is served on a bank as garnishee, the garnishee bank, consistent with Section 75-4-303, shall be afforded a reasonable time to act thereon by identifying accounts of the defendant which may be subject to the writ, and the balances of such accounts shall not become bound by or subject to the lien of the judgment, decree or attachment on which the writ of garnishment is issued until so identified by the garnishee bank. Once the balances of such accounts have become so bound, the writ of garnishment shall not extend to additional deposits thereafter made to such accounts.

(3) When a writ of garnishment is served on a bank as garnishee, the garnishee bank shall have no duty to give notice of the garnishment to the defendant or to any other person.

(4) No writ of garnishment shall be effective against a bank unless the writ sets forth information sufficient to enable such bank to identify the defendant on its records, such as the defendant's complete name and address or the defendant's complete name and the last four (4) digits of the defendant's tax identification number.

(5) When a writ of garnishment is directed to a bank as garnishee:

(a) If the writ is served at a branch of the garnishee bank in this state, the writ shall be effective only as to accounts of the defendant maintained at that branch.

(b) If the writ is served at the garnishee bank's main office in this state, the writ shall be effective as to all accounts of the defendant maintained at such main office and at all branches of the garnishee bank in this state.

SECTION 2. The provisions of this act shall apply only to attachment, execution or garnishment proceedings instituted on or after July 1, 2006, and shall not defeat, extinguish or render void any claim or defense existing with respect to attachment, execution or garnishment proceedings instituted prior to that date.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2006.