Sec. 26. (a) If:

(1) any officer, by virtue of any writ of attachment or execution lawfully issued to the officer, attaches or levies upon any personal property as the property of the attachment or execution defendant; and

Terms Used In Indiana Code 32-35-2-26

  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Attorney: includes a counselor or other person authorized to appear and represent a party in an action or special proceeding. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • Clerk: means the clerk of the court or a person authorized to perform the clerk's duties. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • in writing: include printing, lithographing, or other mode of representing words and letters. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • Judgment: means all final orders, decrees, and determinations in an action and all orders upon which executions may issue. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Property: includes personal and real property. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
(2) any other person, firm, limited liability company, or corporation brings an action in replevin against the officer for the possession of any part of the property attached or levied upon;

as soon as process is served upon the officer, the officer may notify the attachment or execution plaintiff, if a resident of the officer’s county, and if not a resident of the officer’s county, then the attorney of the plaintiff, in writing, of the replevin suit, giving a general description of the property claimed by the replevin plaintiff in the suit, and may demand of the attachment or execution plaintiff a bond to indemnify the officer against any loss for attorney’s fees incurred in the defense of the replevin suit and payment of any judgment for damages and costs.

     (b) Upon failure of the attachment or execution plaintiff to execute the bond to the officer within five (5) days after the time of service of the notice described in subsection (a) with good and sufficient surety, the officer may deliver up any part of the property sued for in the replevin suit to the replevin plaintiff.

     (c) If the bond demanded under subsection (a) is not given and the officer delivers the property to the replevin plaintiff, the attachment or execution plaintiff is estopped from maintaining any action whatever against the officer for the value of the property delivered up or for damages for failing to make any defense in the replevin suit. However, if the action in replevin is pending in the circuit court, the bond shall be approved by the clerk of the circuit court.

[Pre-2002 Recodification Citation: 34-21-6-1.]

As added by P.L.2-2002, SEC.20.