§ 16-572 — Attachment of wages; percentage limitations; priority of attachments.

Notwithstanding any other provision of subchapter II of this chapter:

(A) Where an attachment is levied upon wages due a judgment debtor from an employer-garnishee, the attachment shall become a lien and a continuing levy upon the gross wages due or to become due to the judgment debtor for the amount specified in the attachment to the extent of 25% of the amount by which the judgment debtor's disposable wages for that week exceed 40 times the minimum hourly wage, as prescribed in [§ 32-1003] ("minimum hourly wage"), in effect at the time the wages are payable.

(B) In the case of wages for any pay period other than a week, the Mayor shall, by regulation, prescribe a multiple of the minimum hourly wage equivalent in effect to that set forth in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.

(2) The levy shall be a continuing levy until the judgment, interest, and costs thereof are fully satisfied and paid, and in no event may moneys be withheld, by the employer-garnishee from the judgment debtor, in amounts greater than those prescribed by this section.

(3) Only one attachment upon the wages of a judgment debtor may be satisfied at one time.

(4) Where more than one attachment is issued upon the wages of the same judgment debtor and served upon the same employer-garnishee, the attachment first delivered to the marshal shall have priority, and all subsequent attachments shall be satisfied in the order of priority set forth in § 16-507.

Legislative History

Dec. 23, 1963, 77 Stat. 555, Pub. L. 88-241, § 1; Dec. 17, 1971, 85 Stat. 678, Pub. L. 92-200, § 6; Apr. 30, 1988, D.C. Law 7-104, § 4(f), 35 DCR 147; Mar. 24, 1998, D.C. Law 12-81, § 10(d), 45 DCR 745