Follette v. Cooper

658 F. Supp. 514, 28 Wage & Hour Cas. (BNA) 207, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3515
District Court, N.D. New York·Decided April 24, 1987·No. 81-CV-965·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

ORDER

MUNSON, Chief Judge.

In an order dated March 27, 1987 this court granted plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment for declaratory and injunctive relief on behalf of a plaintiff class of judgment debtors against a defendant class consisting of all sheriffs, marshals or other civil enforcement officers empowered to serve and enforce income executions in New York. The court declared that the due process rights of the plaintiff class are violated when income executions issued pursuant to § 5231 of New York’s Civil Practice and Rules, N.Y.C.P.L.R. § 5231 (McKinney 1978 & Supp.1987), are served upon judgment debtors without notice of the exemptions from garnishment supplied by § 303 of the Consumer Credit Protection Act (“CCPA”), 15 U.S.C. § 1673 (1982), and of the procedures for challenging income executions provided by CPLR § 5231(g) and CPLR § 5240. The court enjoined members of the defendant class from serving or collecting upon any income executions issued pursuant to CPLR § 5231 unless such notice is served upon the judgment debtor simultaneously with the income execution. Subsequent to this court’s March 27 order, questions have been raised concerning the implementation of the relief granted and the effect of the court’s order on income executions served prior to March 27, 1987. The court conducted a conference on April 16, 1987 at the request of the New York State Attorney General’s office. The parties to this lawsuit as well as representatives of the New York State Sheriffs Association and certain judgment creditors residing in upstate New York were given an opportunity to voice concerns about the impact of the court’s order on the collection of judgments obtained in New York. After this meeting, the parties submitted a proposed order designed to clarify and implement the March 27 order. Much of that proposed order is now adopted by the court in this supplemental order, which modifies the memorandum-decision and order dated March 27, 1987.

I. INCOME EXECUTIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY OUTSTANDING OR ARE SERVED UPON JUDGMENT DEBTORS PRIOR TO JUNE 1, 1987.

All income executions in the State of New York that are currently outstanding or that are served upon judgment debtors prior to June 1, 1987 shall continue in full force and effect, subject to the following conditions:

1. If a notice substantially conforming to the form annexed to this order as Appendix A was not served upon the judgment debtor simultaneously with the income execution, the members of the defendant class may serve and collect upon such income executions but are enjoined from remitting or applying any funds received pursuant to such income executions *516 until a notice substantially conforming to the form annexed as Appendix A has been delivered to the judgment debtor and, in cases where the judgment debtor’s employer has also been served with the income execution, a notice substantially conforming with Appendix A has been delivered to the judgment debtor’s employer. Delivery of this required notice may be accomplished in the following ways:

a. The members of the defendant class may serve a copy of the form annexed as Appendix A along with a copy of the form annexed as Appendix B by first class mail on the judgment debtor at his last known home address and his last known place of employment. The envelopes containing these forms and addressed to the judgment debtor should be marked “confidential.”

In addition, in those cases in which the judgment debtor’s employer has been served with the income execution, the members of the defendant class may serve a copy of the notice annexed as Appendix A along with a copy of the form annexed as Appendix C by first class mail on the judgment debtor’s employer.

If by June 30, 1987 the members of the defendant class have made such service on the judgment debtor and, where appropriate, on the judgment debtor’s employer, the members of the defendant class shall in the normal course remit to the judgment creditor and apply to their fees any funds received pursuant to the income execution.

b. The judgment creditor, the judgment creditor’s attorney, an employee of either of them, or the issuer of the income execution may serve a copy of the form annexed as Appendix A along with a copy of the form annexed as Appendix B by first class mail on the judgment debtor at his last known home address and his last known place of employment. The envelopes containing these forms and addressed to the judgment debtor should be marked “confidential.”

In addition, in those cases in which the judgment debtor’s employer has been served with the income execution, the judgment creditor, the judgment creditor’s attorney, an employee of either of them, or the issuer of the income execution may serve a copy of the form annexed as Appendix A along with a copy of the form annexed as Appendix C by first class mail on the judgment debtor’s employer.

If by June 1, 1987 the members of the defendant class receive a sworn affidavit by the party making such service attesting to the fact that such service has been made, the members of the defendant class shall in the normal course remit to the judgment creditor and apply to their fees any funds received pursuant to the income execution.

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Follette v. Cooper, 658 F. Supp. 514, 28 Wage & Hour Cas. (BNA) 207, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3515 (N.D.N.Y. 1987).

658 F. Supp. 514 (Follette v. Cooper) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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