In all cases of judgments recovered against a personal representative and the sureties of a personal representative, the execution shall first be levied on the property of the sureties, and no levy shall be made on the property of the principal until there is a return of nulla bona as to the sureties.
(Code 1981, §53-7-23, enacted by Ga. L. 1996, p. 504, § 10.)