20 Judgment Flashcards
(107 cards)
Orders to ObtainInformation from Judgment Debtors
A judgment debtor MUST provide
info to court so judgment creditor can make informed decisions on how best to enforce a judgment =“oral examination”.
Orders to ObtainInformation from Judgment Debtors
Information Against Judgment Debtor applications = 3 stages:
- C applies using application notice, without notice
- Order against D to attend court to produce documents + answer questions on oath
- Debtor must sign written record of evidence; but if before judge -) will be tape-recorded oral hearing
Orders to ObtainInformation from Judgment Debtors
An application by judgment creditor requiring D to attend court + provide info must be made by:
filing an application notice in Practice Form N316 if the application is to question an individual judgment debtor, or N316A if the application is to question an officer of a company or other corporation.
Orders to Obtain Information from Judgment Debtors
Application for Order
A judgment creditor may apply for an order requiring:
- a judgment debtor; or
- if a judgment debtor is a company or other corporation, an officer of that body,
to attend court to provide information about –
- the judgment debtor’s means; or
- any other matter about which information is needed to enforce a judgment or order.
Orders to Obtain Information from Judgment Debtors
Application for Order
Can it be made without notice?
YES
- May be made without notice
An application for order to obtain information from JB - who deals with it?
may be dealt with by a court officer without a hearing.
An application for order to obtain information from JB
APPLICATION NOTICE MUST:
(1) state the name and address of the judgment debtor;
(2) identify the judgment / order judgment creditor is seeking to enforce;
(3) if payment of money = MUST state the amount presently owed by the judgment debtor
(4) if the judgment debtor is a company or other corporation, state –
(a) the name and address of the officer of that body whom the judgment creditor wishes to be ordered to attend court; and
(b) his position in the company;
(5) if the judgment creditor wishes the questioning to be conducted before a judge, state this and give his reasons;
(6) if the judgment creditor wishes the judgment debtor to be ordered to produce specific documents at court, identify those documents; and
(7) If not for money -) identify matters the judgment creditor wishes the judgment debtor to be questioned
Court officer MAY refer it to judge and MUST if judgment creditor requests debtor be questioned before a judge.
Application notice for orders to obtain info from JD -
What must the court officer do?
Court officer MAY refer it to judge and MUST if judgment creditor requests debtor be questioned before a judge.
Orders to ObtainInformation from Judgment Debtors
Order to Attend Court
If the application notice doesn’t comply with requirements, i.e. be in the form and contain info, then:
no order to attend court will be issued. If it is in the correct format, an order to attend court will be issued.
Orders to ObtainInformation from Judgment Debtors
Order to Attend Court
A person served with an order issued must –
- attend court at the time and place specified in the order;
- when he does, produce at court documents in his control which are described in the order; and
- answer on oath such questions as the court may require.
Orders to ObtainInformation from Judgment Debtors
Order to Attend Court
The questioning will only take place before a judge if he considers that there are:
compelling reasons to make such order.
The order will provide the judgment debtor to attend the County Court hearing centre unless a judge decides otherwise.
Orders to ObtainInformation from Judgment Debtors
What will the order contain?
A penal notice – that he may be held to be in contempt of court, imprisoned, fined or assets seized if he doesn’t comply with order.
The judgment creditor can obtain information from the judgment debtor for the purpose of being able to better decide which method or methods of enforcement to use.
This procedure is not available pre-action.
Orders to ObtainInformation from Judgment Debtors
Service of the Order to attend court
Service may be from:
- the judgment creditor (or someone acting on the judgment creditor’s behalf)
- a High Court enforcement officer; or
- a County Court bailiff.
Hearing to Obtain Information from Judgment Debtor (order to attend court)
Will the person be questioned on oath?
yes
The person ordered to attend court will be questioned on oath.
Hearing to Obtain Information from Judgment Debtor (order to attend court)
Who will do the questioning?
Questioning will be carried out by a court officer unless the court has ordered that the hearing shall be before a judge.
The judgment creditor or his representative –
(a) may attend and ask questions where the questioning takes place before a court officer; and
(b) must attend and conduct the questioning if the hearing is before a judge.
Orders to Obtain Information from Judgment Debtors
Normal Procedure of the Hearing on order to attend court
What questions does the court officer ask?
The court officer asks a standard series of questions, in forms Appendixes A and B.
Orders to ObtainInformation from Judgment Debtors
Hearing to Obtain Information from Judgment Debtor (order to attend court)
At the hearing the judgment creditor or his representative may either –
(1) attend court and ask questions himself; or
(2) request the court officer to ask additional questions, by attaching a list of proposed additional questions to his application notice.
Orders to Obtain Information from Judgment Debtors
Hearings Before a Judge
Where hearing before judge, the questioning will be:
conducted by the judgment creditor or his representative, and the standard questions in the forms in Appendixes A and B will not be used.
The proceedings will be tape recorded and the court will not make a written record of the evidence.
Orders to Obtain Information from Judgment Debtors
Failure to Comply
If person fails to attend court/to answer question etc =
= the court will refer the matter to a High Court judge or Circuit Judge.
That judge may make a committal order.
Orders to Obtain Information from Judgment Debtors
Failure to Comply
If a committal order is made, the judge will direct that –
- the order shall be suspended provided that the person –
- attends court at a time and place specified in the order; and
- complies with all the terms of that order and the original order; and
- if the person fails = he shall be brought before a judge to consider whether the committal order should be discharged.
Third Party Debt Orders
Can you apply for this without notice?
The order MAY be obtained without notice on an interim basis. A hearing follows when the court decides whether or not to make a final third party debt order.
tHIRD PARTY ORDERS
Who hears the hearings?
Master or District Judge.
When are TP debt orders use?
where JD is owed money by a third party. Eg., It is an order requiring the bank etc to pay money from the account to the creditor to pay the judgment.
Third party debt orders:
2 stage process
- Without notice application for interim order freezing the money until
- On notice hear ing, where the court considers whether to make a final order
The court will not make a third party debt order without first making an order (an ‘interim third party debt order’).