Section 6-6-255
Proceedings when officer fails to find and take property.
If the officer fails to find and take the goods and chattels, he may summon the defendant to appear as in other cases, and the plaintiff may then declare and prosecute the action alone for the recovery of the value of the property and damages for the taking and detention of the property as if he had thus commenced his action by a complaint.
(Code 1907, §3779; Code 1923, §7390; Code 1940, T. 7, §919.)