Recovery of amounts related to attempts to recover debt or enforce judgment.

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(1) When a plaintiff receives moneys under a garnishment, attachment or payment, the plaintiff may proceed as follows:

(a) Before crediting the total amount of moneys received against the judgment or debt, the plaintiff may recover and keep from the total amount received under the garnishment, attachment or payment any moneys allowed to be recovered under this section.

(b) After recovering moneys as allowed under paragraph (a) of this subsection, the plaintiff shall credit the remainder of the moneys received against the judgment or debt as provided by law.

(2) Moneys recovered under subsection (1)(a) of this section shall not be considered moneys paid on and to be credited against the original judgment or debt sought to be enforced. No additional judgment is necessary to recover moneys in the manner provided in subsection (1)(a) of this section.

(3) The only moneys a plaintiff may recover under subsection (1)(a) of this section are those described in subsection (4) of this section that arise out of the enforcement of the existing specific judgment or debt that the specific garnishment or attachment was issued to enforce or upon which the payment was received. Moneys recoverable under subsection (1)(a) of this section remain recoverable and, except as provided under subsection (8) of this section, may be recovered from moneys received by the plaintiff under subsequent garnishments, attachments or payments on the same specific judgment or debt.

(4) This section allows the recovery only of the following:

(a) Statutorily established moneys that meet the requirements under subsection (3) of this section, as follows:

(A) Garnishee’s search fees under ORS 18.790.

(B) Fees for delivery of writs of garnishment under ORS 18.652.

(C) Circuit court fees as provided under ORS 21.235 and 21.258.

(D) County court fees as provided under ORS 5.125.

(E) County clerk recording fees as provided in ORS 205.320.

(F) Actual fees or disbursements made under ORS 21.300.

(G) Costs of execution as provided in ORS 105.112.

(H) An issuance fee in the amount of $47 for each writ issued by an attorney under ORS 18.635 (3).

(I) Costs of an execution sale as described in ORS 18.950 (2).

(J) Fees paid under ORS 21.200 for motions and responses to motions filed after entry of a judgment.

(K) Amounts paid to a sheriff for the fees and expenses of executing a warrant under ORS 105.510.

(b) Interest on the amounts specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection at the rate provided for judgments in ORS 82.010 for the period of time beginning with the expenditure of the amount and ending upon recovery of the amount under this section.

(5) The plaintiff shall be responsible for doing all of the following:

(a) Maintaining a precise accounting of moneys recovered under subsection (1)(a) of this section and making the accounting available for any proceeding relating to that judgment or debt.

(b) Providing reasonable notice to the defendant of moneys the plaintiff recovers under subsection (1)(a) of this section.

(6) Moneys recovered under subsection (1)(a) of this section remain subject to all other provisions of law relating to payments, or garnished or attached moneys including, but not limited to, those relating to exemption, claim of exemption, overpayment and holding periods.

(7) Nothing in this section limits the right of a plaintiff to recover moneys described in this section or other moneys in any manner otherwise allowed by law.

(8) A writ of garnishment or attachment is not valid if issued solely to recover moneys recoverable under subsection (1)(a) of this section unless the right to collect the moneys is first reduced to a judgment or to a debt enforceable under ORS 18.854. [Formerly 18.910; 2007 c.860 §§11,31; 2009 c.659 §§5,7; 2011 c.366 §§3,4; 2011 c.595 §115; 2013 c.685 §39; 2017 c.644 §8; 2017 c.663 §19; 2018 c.98 §10; 2019 c.605 §19]

Note: 18.999 was enacted into law by the Legislative Assembly but was not added to or made a part of ORS chapter 18 or any series therein by legislative action. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.


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