§ 34:11-31 — Payment of wages condition precedent to removal of employer's personal property on levy of execution or other process

No personal property, being in this state and belonging to any person, corporation or manufacturer, shall be liable to be removed by virtue of any execution, attachment or other process, unless the party, by whom or at whose suit such process was issued or sued out, shall first pay or cause to be paid to the operatives, mechanics and other employees of such person, manufacturer or corporation the wages then owing from such person, manufacturer or corporation. The wages required to be paid as aforesaid shall not exceed two months' wages, and, if the wages due and owing as aforesaid shall exceed two months' wages, the party at whose suit such process is sued out may, upon paying or causing to be paid to such employees two months' wages, proceed to execute his process; and the sheriff or other officer shall levy and pay to the plaintiff, as well the money so paid for wages as the money to be made by virtue of such process.