Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 2A:17-57

  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • State: extends to and includes any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
As used in this article, “rights and credits” include all rights and credits which may be taken by writ of attachment against nonresident debtors, and also rights and credits of an equitable nature, except such income and property as is reserved or exempt by law, but wages, debts, earnings, salaries, income from trust funds and profits due and owing to a defendant in execution to the amount of less than $48.00 a week shall not be liable to be seized or taken by virtue of any execution, civil process or order directing payments to be made in installments. If they amount to $48.00 or more a week, not more than 10% thereof may be so seized or taken, unless they exceed the sum of $7,500.00 per annum, in which case the court may order a larger percentage.

Nothing contained in this article or article 7 shall be construed as impairing the rights of an execution creditor under other provisions of this chapter or any law of this State relating to executions, or as against any trust which was created by or the fund held in trust has proceeded from the defendant in execution.

L.1951 (1st SS), c.344; amended by L.1969, c. 92, s. 2; L.1970, c. 287, s. 2.