
Judicial Code
Rule 39: Execution of Judgment
(a)
If after entry of a judgment awarding money damages and/or costs
against a party, or after final resolution of an appeal to the appellate court
from such a judgment, the judgment creditor demonstrates to the Court that the
judgment debtor has not paid the judgment amount in full or commenced making
installment payments in a manner agreed to by the parties, or is not current
in such payments, the Court shall upon motion of the judgment creditor, either
(1) order the Community to seize, levy or garnish wages or per capita payments
made by the Community as provided herein, or (2) order the local law
enforcement to execute on the personal property of the judgment debtor as
provided herein.
(b)
Wages of persons working for the Community or its economic enterprises
are subject to seizure, levy or garnishment provided the amounts seized,
levied or garnished do not exceed 20% of the individual's disposable earnings.
"Disposable Earnings" means that part of the earnings of an
individual remaining after deduction from those earnings of amounts required
by law to be withheld. In the
event the seizure, levy or garnishment is pursuant to a child support order,
the provisions of Title 3, Chapter III, Section 7 of the Code shall apply.
(c)
Any payments made by the Community to its members from the net revenues
of
tribal gaming pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory act ["per capita
payments"] are subject to seizure, levy or garnishment by the Tribal
Court provided the amount seized, levied or garnished does not exceed the
greater of $100.00 per month or 10% of an adult's net monthly per capita
payment. In the event the
seizure, levy or garnishment is pursuant to a child support order, the
provisions of Title 3, Chapter III, Section 7 of the Code shall apply.
(d)
The Court shall order the judgment debtor to appear before it and
answer under oath regarding all her/his personal property.
The Court shall then determine what property of the judgment debtor is
available for execution and order the local law enforcement to seize as much
of such property as reasonably appears necessary to pay the judgment amount.
Failure of the judgment debtor to appear may be deemed a contempt of
court and the Court may proceed without such appearance.
Sale of the seized property shall be at public auction conducted by
local law enforcement officials designated by the Court after giving at least
ten (10) days public notice posted in at least three conspicuous public
places. Property shall be sold to
the highest bidder who shall make payment for the property at the time of
sale. The person conducting the
auction may postpone such in her/his discretion if there is inadequate
response to the auction or the bidding, and may reschedule such upon giving
the required notice. The person
conducting the sale shall give a certificate of sale to the purchaser and
shall make a return to the Court reciting the details of the sale.
Real property is exempt from execution and seizure under this
provision. This section only
applies to personal property.
(1)
The Court shall only order seizure and sale of such property of the
judgment debtor to satisfy a money judgment the loss of which will not impose an
immediate substantial hardship on the immediate family of the judgment debtor.
Only property of the judgment debtor herself/himself may be subject to
execution and not property of her/his family.
(2)
At any time within six (6) months after sale under this Rule, the
judgment debtor may redeem her/his property from the purchaser thereof by paying
the amount such purchaser paid for the property plus eight (8) percent interest,
plus any expenses actually incurred by the purchaser, such as taxes and
insurance, to maintain the property.
(3)
Any order of the Court to local law enforcement officials within the
Court's jurisdiction, in aid of execution of judgments, shall only be valid upon
the execution of a cooperative agreement between the Community and the
appropriate governing entity if such law enforcement is not a law enforcement
official of the Prairie Island Indian Community.
Note of Amendment: Rule 39 was amended on July 10, 1995 by Tribal Council Resolution No. 95-6-10-74, and on January 14, 1997 by Order of the Court.
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Copyright © 2003, Prairie Island Indian Community. (Updated 3-3-03.)