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2007 Minnesota Statutes
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Chapter 550
Section 550.136
Recent History
- 2024 Subd. 3 Revisor Instruction 2024 c 110 art 6 s 5
- 2020 Subd. 3 Amended 2020 c 86 art 4 s 1
- 2020 Subd. 4 Amended 2020 c 86 art 4 s 2
- 2020 Subd. 5 Amended 2020 c 86 art 4 s 3
- 2020 Subd. 9 Amended 2020 c 86 art 4 s 4
- 2020 Subd. 10 Amended 2020 c 86 art 4 s 5
- 2020 Subd. 12 Amended 2020 c 86 art 4 s 6
- 2000 Subd. 6 Amended 2000 c 405 s 2
- 1999 Subd. 6 Amended 1999 c 159 s 141
- 1998 Subd. 2 Amended 1998 c 382 art 2 s 18
This is an historical version of this statute chapter. Also view the most recent published version.
550.136 SHERIFF'S LEVY OF EARNINGS.
Subdivision 1. Procedure. When earnings are levied upon by the sheriff, this section must
be complied with, in addition to the general provisions specified in section 550.135.
Subd. 2. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings
given them:
(a) "Earnings" means:
(1) compensation paid or payable to an employee for personal service whether denominated
as wages, salary, commissions, bonus, or otherwise, and includes periodic payments pursuant
to a pension or retirement program;
(2) compensation paid or payable to the producer for the sale of agricultural products;
livestock or livestock products; milk or milk products; or fruit or other horticultural products
produced when the producer is operating a family farm, a family farm corporation, or an
authorized farm corporation, as defined in section 500.24, subdivision 2; or
(3) maintenance as defined in section 518.003, subdivision 3a.
(b) "Disposable earnings" means that part of the earnings of an individual remaining after the
deduction from those earnings of amounts required by law to be withheld.
(c) "Employee" means an individual who performs services subject to the right of the
employer to control both what is done and how it is done.
(d) "Employer" means a person for whom an individual performs services as an employee.
Subd. 3. Limitation on levy on earnings. Unless the judgment is for child support, the
maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual for any pay period subjected
to an execution levy may not exceed the lesser of:
(1) 25 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable earnings; or
(2) the amount by which the judgment debtor's disposable earnings exceed the following
product: 40 times the federal minimum hourly wages prescribed by section 6(a)(1) of the Fair
Labor Standards Act of 1938, United States Code, title 29, section 206(a)(1), in effect at the time
the earnings are payable, times the number of work weeks in the pay period. When a pay period
consists of other than a whole number of work weeks, each day of that pay period in excess of
the number of completed work weeks shall be counted as a fraction of a work week equal to the
number of excess work days divided by the number of days in the normal work week.
If the judgment is for child support, the levy may not exceed:
(1) 50 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is
supporting a spouse or dependent child and the judgment is 12 weeks old or less (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received);
(2) 55 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is
supporting a spouse or dependent child, and the judgment is over 12 weeks old (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received);
(3) 60 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is not
supporting a spouse or dependent child and the judgment is 12 weeks old or less (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received); or
(4) 65 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is not
supporting a spouse or dependent child, and the judgment is over 12 weeks old (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received).
Execution levies under this section on judgments for child support are effective until the
judgments are satisfied if the judgment creditor is a county and the employer is notified by the
county when the judgment is satisfied.
No court may make, execute, or enforce an order or any process in violation of this section.
Subd. 4. Multiple levies on earnings. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter or section
518A.53, the priority of multiple earnings execution levies is determined by the order in which
the execution levies were served on the employer. If the employer is served with two or more
writs of execution at the same time on the same day, the writ of execution issued pursuant to the
first judgment entered has priority. If two or more execution levies are served on the same day
and are based on judgments entered on the same day, then the employer shall select the priority
of the earnings levies. However, in all cases except earnings execution levies on judgments for
child support if the judgment creditor is a county and the employer is notified by the county when
the judgment is satisfied, the execution levies shall be effective no longer than 70 days from the
date of the service of the writ of execution.
Subd. 5. Earnings attachable. (a) Subject to the exemptions provided by sections 550.37
and 571.922, and any other applicable statute, and except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b),
the service of a writ of execution under this chapter attaches all unpaid nonexempt disposable
earnings owing or to be owed by the third party and earned or to be earned by the judgment
debtor before and within the pay period in which the writ of execution is served and within all
subsequent pay periods whose paydays occur within the 70 days after the date of service of
the writ of execution. "Paydays" means the days upon which the third party pays earnings to
the judgment debtor in the ordinary course of business. If the judgment debtor has no regular
paydays, paydays means the 15th day and the last day of each month. If the levy attaches less than
$10, the third party shall not retain and remit the sum.
(b) The service of a writ of execution on a judgment for child support attaches to all unpaid
nonexempt disposable earnings owing or to be owed by the third party and earned or to be earned
by the judgment debtor before and within the pay period in which the writ of execution is served
and within all subsequent pay periods until the judgment is satisfied if the judgment creditor is a
county and the third party is notified by the county when the judgment is satisfied.
Subd. 6. Earnings exemption notice. Before the first levy on earnings under this chapter,
the judgment creditor shall serve upon the judgment debtor no less than ten days before the
service of the writ of execution, a notice that the writ of execution may be served on the judgment
debtor's employer. The notice must: (1) be substantially in the form set forth below; (2) be served
personally, in the manner of a summons and complaint, or by first class mail to the last known
address of the judgment debtor; (3) inform the judgment debtor that an execution levy may
be served on the judgment debtor's employer in ten days, and that the judgment debtor may,
within that time, cause to be served on the judgment creditor a signed statement under penalties
of perjury asserting an entitlement to an exemption from execution; (4) inform the judgment
debtor of the earnings exemptions contained in section 550.37, subdivision 14; and (5) advise
the judgment debtor of the relief set forth in this chapter to which the debtor may be entitled if a
judgment creditor in bad faith disregards a valid claim and the fee, costs, and penalty that may
be assessed against a judgment debtor who in bad faith falsely claims an exemption or in bad
faith takes action to frustrate the execution process. The notice requirement of this subdivision
does not apply to a levy on earnings being retained by an employer pursuant to a garnishment
previously served in compliance with chapter 571.
The ten-day notice informing a judgment debtor that a writ of execution may be used to levy
the earnings of an individual must be substantially in the following form:
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a levy may be served upon your employer or other third
parties, without any further court proceedings or notice to you, ten days or more from the date
hereof. Your earnings are completely exempt from execution levy if you are now a recipient of
relief based on need, if you have been a recipient of relief within the last six months, or if you
have been an inmate of a correctional institution in the last six months.
Relief based on need includes Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), Emergency
Assistance (EA), Work First, Medical Assistance (MA), General Assistance (GA), General
Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), Emergency General Assistance (EGA), Minnesota
Supplemental Aid (MSA), MSA Emergency Assistance (MSA-EA), Supplemental Security
Income (SSI), and Energy Assistance.
If you wish to claim an exemption, you should fill out the appropriate form below, sign it,
and send it to the judgment creditor's attorney.
You may wish to contact the attorney for the judgment creditor in order to arrange for a
settlement of the debt or contact an attorney to advise you about exemptions or other rights.
on your employer. If your earnings are levied on after you claim an exemption, you may
petition the court for a determination of your exemption. If the court finds that the judgment
creditor disregarded your claim of exemption in bad faith, you will be entitled to costs,
reasonable attorney fees, actual damages, and an amount not to exceed $100.
(2) HOWEVER, BE WARNED if you claim an exemption, the judgment creditor can also
petition the court for a determination of your exemption, and if the court finds that you
claimed an exemption in bad faith, you will be assessed costs and reasonable attorney's
fees plus an amount not to exceed $100.
(3) If after receipt of this notice, you in bad faith take action to frustrate the execution levy,
thus requiring the judgment creditor to petition the court to resolve the problem, you will
be liable to the judgment creditor for costs and reasonable attorney's fees plus an amount
not to exceed $100.
(1) I am presently a recipient of relief based on need. (Specify the program, case number,
and the county from which relief is being received.)
(2) I am not now receiving relief based on need, but I have received relief based on need
within the last six months. (Specify the program, case number, and the county from which
relief has been received.)
(3) I have been an inmate of a correctional institution within the last six months. (Specify
the correctional institution and location.)
I hereby authorize any agency that has distributed relief to me or any correctional institution
in which I was an inmate to disclose to the above-named judgment creditor or the judgment
creditor's attorney only whether or not I am or have been a recipient of relief based on need or an
inmate of a correctional institution within the last six months. I have mailed or delivered a copy of
this form to the judgment creditor or judgment creditor's attorney.
Subd. 7. Additional notices. If the execution levy has not been served within one year after
service of the exemption notice, the judgment creditor or its attorney shall serve another notice
upon the judgment debtor before serving the execution levy on the judgment debtor's employer. If
more than one year has passed since the service of the judgment creditor's most recent execution
levy, the judgment creditor shall, no less than ten days before service of a subsequent execution
levy, serve notice that another execution levy may be served.
Subd. 8. Proceedings if no exemption statement is received. If no statement of exemption
is received by the judgment creditor's attorney (or the creditor if not represented by an attorney)
on an earnings levy within ten days after the service of the notice, the judgment creditor may
proceed with the execution levy. Failure of the judgment debtor to serve a statement does not
constitute a waiver of any right the judgment debtor may have to an exemption. If the statement of
exemption is received by the judgment creditor, the judgment creditor may still cause a levy to be
served subject to sanctions provided in section 550.143, subdivision 10.
Subd. 9. Execution earnings disclosure form and worksheet. The judgment creditor shall
provide to the sheriff for service upon the judgment debtor's employer an execution earnings
disclosure form and an earnings disclosure worksheet with the writ of execution, that must be
substantially in the form set forth below.
payable to an employee for personal services or compensation paid or payable to the producer for
the sale of agricultural products; milk or milk products; or fruit or other horticultural products
produced when the producer is operating a family farm, a family farm corporation, or an
authorized farm corporation, as defined in section 500.24, subdivision 2, whether denominated
as wages, salary, commission, bonus, or otherwise, and includes periodic payments pursuant
to a pension or retirement.
"DISPOSABLE EARNINGS": Means that part of the earnings of an individual remaining
after the deduction from those earnings of amounts required by law to be withheld. (Amounts
required by law to be withheld do not include items such as health insurance, charitable
contributions, or other voluntary wage deductions.)
"PAYDAY": For the purpose of execution, "payday(s)" means the date(s) upon which the
employer pays earnings to the debtor in the ordinary course of business. If the judgment debtor
has no regular payday, payday(s) means the 15th and the last day of each month.
THE THIRD PARTY/EMPLOYER MUST ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
(1) Do you now owe, or within 70 days from the date the execution levy was served on you,
will you or may you owe money to the judgment debtor for earnings?
(2) Does the judgment debtor earn more than $... per week? (this amount is the federal
minimum wage per week)
A. If your answer to either question 1 or 2 is "No," then you must sign the affirmation below
and return this disclosure to the sheriff within 20 days after it was served on you, and you do
not need to answer the remaining questions.
B. If your answers to both questions 1 and 2 are "Yes," you must complete this form and the
Earnings Disclosure Worksheet as follows:
For each payday that falls within 70 days from the date the execution levy was served on
you, YOU MUST calculate the amount of earnings to be retained by completing steps 3
through 11 on page 2, and enter the amounts on the Earnings Disclosure Worksheet. UPON
REQUEST, THE EMPLOYER MUST PROVIDE THE DEBTOR WITH INFORMATION
AS TO HOW THE CALCULATIONS REQUIRED BY THIS DISCLOSURE WERE
MADE.
Each payday, you must retain the amount of earnings listed in column I on the Earnings
Disclosure Worksheet.
You must pay the attached earnings and return this earnings disclosure form and the
Earnings Disclosure Worksheet to the sheriff and deliver a copy of the disclosure and
worksheet to the judgment debtor within ten days after the last payday that falls within the
70-day period. If the judgment is wholly satisfied or if the judgment debtor's employment
ends before the expiration of the 70-day period, your disclosure and remittance should be
made within ten days after the last payday for which earnings were attached.
For steps 3 through 11, "columns" refers to columns on the Earnings Disclosure Worksheet.
by the third party/employer to complete this earnings disclosure, and have done so truthfully
and to the best of my knowledge.
*If you entered any amount in column H for any payday(s), you must describe below either
your claims, or the claims of others. For amounts claimed by others, you must both state the
names and addresses of such persons, and the nature of their claim, if known.
.....
.....
.....
third party to complete this earnings disclosure worksheet, and have done so truthfully and to
the best of my knowledge.
Subd. 10. Execution earnings disclosure form and worksheet for child support
judgments. The judgment creditor shall provide to the sheriff for service upon a child support
judgment debtor's employer an execution earnings disclosure form and an earnings disclosure
worksheet with the writ of execution, that must be substantially in the form set forth below.
payable to an employee for personal services or compensation paid or payable to the producer for
the sale of agricultural products; milk or milk products; or fruit or other horticultural products
produced when the producer is operating a family farm, a family farm corporation, or an
authorized farm corporation, as defined in section 500.24, subdivision 2, whether denominated as
wages, salary, commission, bonus, or otherwise, and includes periodic payments pursuant to a
pension or retirement, workers' compensation, or unemployment benefits.
"DISPOSABLE EARNINGS": Means that part of the earnings of an individual remaining
after the deduction from those earnings of amounts required by law to be withheld. (Amounts
required by law to be withheld do not include items such as health insurance, charitable
contributions, or other voluntary wage deductions.)
"PAYDAY": For the purpose of execution, "payday(s)" means the date(s) upon which the
employer pays earnings to the debtor in the ordinary course of business. If the judgment debtor
has no regular payday, payday(s) means the 15th and the last day of each month.
THE THIRD PARTY/EMPLOYER MUST ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:
(1) Do you now owe, or within 70 days from the date the execution levy was served on you,
will you or may you owe money to the judgment debtor for earnings?
A. If your answer to question 1 is "No," then you must sign the affirmation below and return
this disclosure to the sheriff within 20 days after it was served on you, and you do not need
to answer the remaining questions.
B. If your answer to question 1 is "Yes," you must complete this form and the Earnings
Disclosure Worksheet as follows:
For each payday that falls within 70 days from the date the execution levy was served on
you, YOU MUST calculate the amount of earnings to be retained by completing steps 2
through 8 on page 2, and enter the amounts on the Earnings Disclosure Worksheet. UPON
REQUEST, THE EMPLOYER MUST PROVIDE THE DEBTOR WITH INFORMATION
AS TO HOW THE CALCULATIONS REQUIRED BY THIS DISCLOSURE WERE
MADE.
Each payday, you must retain the amount of earnings listed in column G on the Earnings
Disclosure Worksheet.
You must pay the attached earnings and return this earnings disclosure form and the
Earnings Disclosure Worksheet to the sheriff and deliver a copy of the disclosure and
worksheet to the judgment debtor within ten days after the last payday that falls within the
70-day period. If the judgment is wholly satisfied or if the judgment debtor's employment
ends before the expiration of the 70-day period, your disclosure and remittance should be
made within ten days after the last payday for which earnings were attached.
For steps 2 through 8, "columns" refers to columns on the Earnings Disclosure Worksheet.
(2) COLUMN A. Enter the date of judgment debtor's payday.
(3) COLUMN B. Enter judgment debtor's gross earnings for each payday.
(4) COLUMN C. Enter judgment debtor's disposable earnings for each payday.
(5) COLUMN D. Enter either 50, 55, 60, or 65 percent of disposable earnings, based on
which of the following descriptions fits the child support judgment debtor:
(a) 50 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is
supporting a spouse or dependent child and the judgment is 12 weeks old or less (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received);
(b) 55 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is
supporting a spouse or dependent child, and the judgment is over 12 weeks old (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received);
(c) 60 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is not
supporting a spouse or dependent child and the judgment is 12 weeks old or less (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received); or
(d) 65 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is not
supporting a spouse or dependent child, and the judgment is over 12 weeks old (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received). (Multiply
column C by .50, .55, .60, or .65, as appropriate.)
(6) COLUMN E. Enter here any amount claimed by you as a setoff, defense, lien, or claim,
or any amount claimed by any other person as an exemption or adverse interest that would reduce
the amount of earnings owing to the judgment debtor. (Note: Any indebtedness to you incurred
within ten days prior to your receipt of the first execution levy may not be set off against the
earnings otherwise subject to this levy. Any wage assignment made by the judgment debtor within
ten days prior to your receipt of the first execution levy is void.)
You must also describe your claim(s) and the claims of others, if known, in the space
provided below the worksheet and state the name(s) and address(es) of these persons.
Enter zero in column E if there are no claims by you or others that would reduce the amount
of earnings owing to the judgment debtor.
(7) COLUMN F. Subtract the amount in column E from the amount in column D and enter
here. This is the amount of earnings that you must remit for the payday for which the calculations
were made.
by the third party/employer to complete this earnings disclosure, and have done so truthfully
and to the best of my knowledge.
*If you entered any amount in column E for any payday(s), you must describe below either
your claims, or the claims of others. For amounts claimed by others, you must both state the
names and addresses of such persons, and the nature of their claim, if known.
.....
.....
.....
third party to complete this earnings disclosure worksheet, and have done so truthfully and to
the best of my knowledge.
Subd. 11. Postexecution notice to judgment debtor. The judgment creditor shall serve by
mail upon the judgment debtor not later than five days after service is made on the judgment
debtor's employer, a copy of the writ of execution and copies of all other papers served on the
judgment debtor's employer.
Subd. 12. Third party disclosure and remittance obligation. If there are no attachable
earnings, the third party shall serve the execution earnings disclosure form upon the sheriff within
20 days after service of the writ of execution. However, if the judgment debtor has attachable
earnings, the third party shall serve the execution earnings disclosure form and remit to the sheriff
the attached earnings within ten days of the last payday to occur within the 70 days after the date
of the service of the execution. If the judgment is wholly satisfied or if the judgment debtor's
employment ends before the expiration of the 70-day period, the disclosure and remittance should
be made within ten days after the last payday for which earnings were attached. The amount of
the third party's execution earnings disclosure form and remittance need not exceed 110 percent
of the amount of the judgment creditor's judgment that remains unpaid, after subtracting the total
of setoffs, defenses, exemption, or other adverse interests. If the disclosure is by a corporation, it
shall be made by an officer or an authorized agent having knowledge of the facts.
Subd. 13. Penalty for retaliation or discharge. (a) An employer shall not discharge or
otherwise discipline an employee as a result of an earnings levy authorized by this chapter.
(b) If an employer violates this section, a court may order the reinstatement of an aggrieved
party who demonstrates a violation of this section, and other relief the court considers appropriate.
The aggrieved party may bring a civil action within 90 days of the date of the prohibited action.
If an employer-employee relationship existed before the violation of this section, the employee
shall recover twice the wages lost as a result of this violation.
(c) The rights guaranteed by this section are not subject to abridgment and may not be
altered by employment contract.
History: 1990 c 606 art 1 s 3; 1991 c 156 s 15,16; 1993 c 156 s 2-4; 1994 c 488 s 8; 1997 c
203 art 6 s 92; 1998 c 382 art 2 s 18; 1999 c 107 s 66; 1999 c 159 s 141; 2000 c 343 s 4; 2000 c
405 s 2; 2005 c 164 s 29; 1Sp2005 c 7 s 28
Subdivision 1. Procedure. When earnings are levied upon by the sheriff, this section must
be complied with, in addition to the general provisions specified in section 550.135.
Subd. 2. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings
given them:
(a) "Earnings" means:
(1) compensation paid or payable to an employee for personal service whether denominated
as wages, salary, commissions, bonus, or otherwise, and includes periodic payments pursuant
to a pension or retirement program;
(2) compensation paid or payable to the producer for the sale of agricultural products;
livestock or livestock products; milk or milk products; or fruit or other horticultural products
produced when the producer is operating a family farm, a family farm corporation, or an
authorized farm corporation, as defined in section 500.24, subdivision 2; or
(3) maintenance as defined in section 518.003, subdivision 3a.
(b) "Disposable earnings" means that part of the earnings of an individual remaining after the
deduction from those earnings of amounts required by law to be withheld.
(c) "Employee" means an individual who performs services subject to the right of the
employer to control both what is done and how it is done.
(d) "Employer" means a person for whom an individual performs services as an employee.
Subd. 3. Limitation on levy on earnings. Unless the judgment is for child support, the
maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual for any pay period subjected
to an execution levy may not exceed the lesser of:
(1) 25 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable earnings; or
(2) the amount by which the judgment debtor's disposable earnings exceed the following
product: 40 times the federal minimum hourly wages prescribed by section 6(a)(1) of the Fair
Labor Standards Act of 1938, United States Code, title 29, section 206(a)(1), in effect at the time
the earnings are payable, times the number of work weeks in the pay period. When a pay period
consists of other than a whole number of work weeks, each day of that pay period in excess of
the number of completed work weeks shall be counted as a fraction of a work week equal to the
number of excess work days divided by the number of days in the normal work week.
If the judgment is for child support, the levy may not exceed:
(1) 50 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is
supporting a spouse or dependent child and the judgment is 12 weeks old or less (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received);
(2) 55 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is
supporting a spouse or dependent child, and the judgment is over 12 weeks old (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received);
(3) 60 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is not
supporting a spouse or dependent child and the judgment is 12 weeks old or less (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received); or
(4) 65 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is not
supporting a spouse or dependent child, and the judgment is over 12 weeks old (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received).
Execution levies under this section on judgments for child support are effective until the
judgments are satisfied if the judgment creditor is a county and the employer is notified by the
county when the judgment is satisfied.
No court may make, execute, or enforce an order or any process in violation of this section.
Subd. 4. Multiple levies on earnings. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter or section
518A.53, the priority of multiple earnings execution levies is determined by the order in which
the execution levies were served on the employer. If the employer is served with two or more
writs of execution at the same time on the same day, the writ of execution issued pursuant to the
first judgment entered has priority. If two or more execution levies are served on the same day
and are based on judgments entered on the same day, then the employer shall select the priority
of the earnings levies. However, in all cases except earnings execution levies on judgments for
child support if the judgment creditor is a county and the employer is notified by the county when
the judgment is satisfied, the execution levies shall be effective no longer than 70 days from the
date of the service of the writ of execution.
Subd. 5. Earnings attachable. (a) Subject to the exemptions provided by sections 550.37
and 571.922, and any other applicable statute, and except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b),
the service of a writ of execution under this chapter attaches all unpaid nonexempt disposable
earnings owing or to be owed by the third party and earned or to be earned by the judgment
debtor before and within the pay period in which the writ of execution is served and within all
subsequent pay periods whose paydays occur within the 70 days after the date of service of
the writ of execution. "Paydays" means the days upon which the third party pays earnings to
the judgment debtor in the ordinary course of business. If the judgment debtor has no regular
paydays, paydays means the 15th day and the last day of each month. If the levy attaches less than
$10, the third party shall not retain and remit the sum.
(b) The service of a writ of execution on a judgment for child support attaches to all unpaid
nonexempt disposable earnings owing or to be owed by the third party and earned or to be earned
by the judgment debtor before and within the pay period in which the writ of execution is served
and within all subsequent pay periods until the judgment is satisfied if the judgment creditor is a
county and the third party is notified by the county when the judgment is satisfied.
Subd. 6. Earnings exemption notice. Before the first levy on earnings under this chapter,
the judgment creditor shall serve upon the judgment debtor no less than ten days before the
service of the writ of execution, a notice that the writ of execution may be served on the judgment
debtor's employer. The notice must: (1) be substantially in the form set forth below; (2) be served
personally, in the manner of a summons and complaint, or by first class mail to the last known
address of the judgment debtor; (3) inform the judgment debtor that an execution levy may
be served on the judgment debtor's employer in ten days, and that the judgment debtor may,
within that time, cause to be served on the judgment creditor a signed statement under penalties
of perjury asserting an entitlement to an exemption from execution; (4) inform the judgment
debtor of the earnings exemptions contained in section 550.37, subdivision 14; and (5) advise
the judgment debtor of the relief set forth in this chapter to which the debtor may be entitled if a
judgment creditor in bad faith disregards a valid claim and the fee, costs, and penalty that may
be assessed against a judgment debtor who in bad faith falsely claims an exemption or in bad
faith takes action to frustrate the execution process. The notice requirement of this subdivision
does not apply to a levy on earnings being retained by an employer pursuant to a garnishment
previously served in compliance with chapter 571.
The ten-day notice informing a judgment debtor that a writ of execution may be used to levy
the earnings of an individual must be substantially in the following form:
| STATE OF MINNESOTA |
DISTRICT COURT |
| COUNTY OF ..... |
.....
JUDICIAL DISTRICT |
|
.....
(Judgment Creditor) |
|
| against |
EXECUTION EXEMPTION |
|
.....
(Judgment Debtor) |
NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO LEVY ON EARNINGS |
| and |
|
|
.....
(Third Party) |
parties, without any further court proceedings or notice to you, ten days or more from the date
hereof. Your earnings are completely exempt from execution levy if you are now a recipient of
relief based on need, if you have been a recipient of relief within the last six months, or if you
have been an inmate of a correctional institution in the last six months.
Relief based on need includes Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), Emergency
Assistance (EA), Work First, Medical Assistance (MA), General Assistance (GA), General
Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), Emergency General Assistance (EGA), Minnesota
Supplemental Aid (MSA), MSA Emergency Assistance (MSA-EA), Supplemental Security
Income (SSI), and Energy Assistance.
If you wish to claim an exemption, you should fill out the appropriate form below, sign it,
and send it to the judgment creditor's attorney.
You may wish to contact the attorney for the judgment creditor in order to arrange for a
settlement of the debt or contact an attorney to advise you about exemptions or other rights.
PENALTIES
(1) Be advised that even if you claim an exemption, an execution levy may still be served on your employer. If your earnings are levied on after you claim an exemption, you may
petition the court for a determination of your exemption. If the court finds that the judgment
creditor disregarded your claim of exemption in bad faith, you will be entitled to costs,
reasonable attorney fees, actual damages, and an amount not to exceed $100.
(2) HOWEVER, BE WARNED if you claim an exemption, the judgment creditor can also
petition the court for a determination of your exemption, and if the court finds that you
claimed an exemption in bad faith, you will be assessed costs and reasonable attorney's
fees plus an amount not to exceed $100.
(3) If after receipt of this notice, you in bad faith take action to frustrate the execution levy,
thus requiring the judgment creditor to petition the court to resolve the problem, you will
be liable to the judgment creditor for costs and reasonable attorney's fees plus an amount
not to exceed $100.
| DATED: ..... |
.....
|
| (Attorney for Judgment Creditor) |
|
|
.....
|
|
| Address |
|
|
.....
|
|
| Telephone |
JUDGMENT DEBTOR'S EXEMPTION CLAIM NOTICE
I hereby claim that my earnings are exempt from execution because:(1) I am presently a recipient of relief based on need. (Specify the program, case number,
and the county from which relief is being received.)
|
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
| Program |
Case Number (if known) |
County |
within the last six months. (Specify the program, case number, and the county from which
relief has been received.)
|
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
| Program |
Case Number (if known) |
County |
the correctional institution and location.)
|
.....
|
.....
|
| Correctional Institution |
Location |
in which I was an inmate to disclose to the above-named judgment creditor or the judgment
creditor's attorney only whether or not I am or have been a recipient of relief based on need or an
inmate of a correctional institution within the last six months. I have mailed or delivered a copy of
this form to the judgment creditor or judgment creditor's attorney.
|
.....
|
.....
|
| Debtor |
|
|
.....
|
|
| Address |
|
|
.....
|
|
| Debtor Telephone Number |
service of the exemption notice, the judgment creditor or its attorney shall serve another notice
upon the judgment debtor before serving the execution levy on the judgment debtor's employer. If
more than one year has passed since the service of the judgment creditor's most recent execution
levy, the judgment creditor shall, no less than ten days before service of a subsequent execution
levy, serve notice that another execution levy may be served.
Subd. 8. Proceedings if no exemption statement is received. If no statement of exemption
is received by the judgment creditor's attorney (or the creditor if not represented by an attorney)
on an earnings levy within ten days after the service of the notice, the judgment creditor may
proceed with the execution levy. Failure of the judgment debtor to serve a statement does not
constitute a waiver of any right the judgment debtor may have to an exemption. If the statement of
exemption is received by the judgment creditor, the judgment creditor may still cause a levy to be
served subject to sanctions provided in section 550.143, subdivision 10.
Subd. 9. Execution earnings disclosure form and worksheet. The judgment creditor shall
provide to the sheriff for service upon the judgment debtor's employer an execution earnings
disclosure form and an earnings disclosure worksheet with the writ of execution, that must be
substantially in the form set forth below.
| STATE OF MINNESOTA |
DISTRICT COURT |
| COUNTY OF ..... |
.....
JUDICIAL DISTRICT |
| FILE NO. ............ |
|
|
.....
(Judgment Creditor) |
|
| against |
EARNINGS |
|
.....
(Judgment Debtor) |
EXECUTION |
| and |
DISCLOSURE |
|
.....
(Third Party) |
DEFINITIONS
"EARNINGS": For the purpose of execution, "earnings" means compensation paid or payable to an employee for personal services or compensation paid or payable to the producer for
the sale of agricultural products; milk or milk products; or fruit or other horticultural products
produced when the producer is operating a family farm, a family farm corporation, or an
authorized farm corporation, as defined in section 500.24, subdivision 2, whether denominated
as wages, salary, commission, bonus, or otherwise, and includes periodic payments pursuant
to a pension or retirement.
"DISPOSABLE EARNINGS": Means that part of the earnings of an individual remaining
after the deduction from those earnings of amounts required by law to be withheld. (Amounts
required by law to be withheld do not include items such as health insurance, charitable
contributions, or other voluntary wage deductions.)
"PAYDAY": For the purpose of execution, "payday(s)" means the date(s) upon which the
employer pays earnings to the debtor in the ordinary course of business. If the judgment debtor
has no regular payday, payday(s) means the 15th and the last day of each month.
THE THIRD PARTY/EMPLOYER MUST ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
(1) Do you now owe, or within 70 days from the date the execution levy was served on you,
will you or may you owe money to the judgment debtor for earnings?
| Yes ..... |
No ..... |
minimum wage per week)
| Yes ..... |
No ..... |
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE
EARNINGS DISCLOSUREA. If your answer to either question 1 or 2 is "No," then you must sign the affirmation below
and return this disclosure to the sheriff within 20 days after it was served on you, and you do
not need to answer the remaining questions.
B. If your answers to both questions 1 and 2 are "Yes," you must complete this form and the
Earnings Disclosure Worksheet as follows:
For each payday that falls within 70 days from the date the execution levy was served on
you, YOU MUST calculate the amount of earnings to be retained by completing steps 3
through 11 on page 2, and enter the amounts on the Earnings Disclosure Worksheet. UPON
REQUEST, THE EMPLOYER MUST PROVIDE THE DEBTOR WITH INFORMATION
AS TO HOW THE CALCULATIONS REQUIRED BY THIS DISCLOSURE WERE
MADE.
Each payday, you must retain the amount of earnings listed in column I on the Earnings
Disclosure Worksheet.
You must pay the attached earnings and return this earnings disclosure form and the
Earnings Disclosure Worksheet to the sheriff and deliver a copy of the disclosure and
worksheet to the judgment debtor within ten days after the last payday that falls within the
70-day period. If the judgment is wholly satisfied or if the judgment debtor's employment
ends before the expiration of the 70-day period, your disclosure and remittance should be
made within ten days after the last payday for which earnings were attached.
For steps 3 through 11, "columns" refers to columns on the Earnings Disclosure Worksheet.
| (3) |
COLUMN A. |
Enter the date of judgment debtor's payday. |
|
| (4) |
COLUMN B. |
Enter judgment debtor's gross earnings for each payday. |
|
| (5) |
COLUMN C. |
Enter judgment debtor's disposable earnings for each payday. |
|
| (6) |
COLUMN D. |
Enter 25 percent of disposable earnings. (Multiply column C by .25.) |
|
| (7) |
COLUMN E. |
Enter here 40 times the hourly federal minimum wage ($..........) times the number of work weeks included in each payday. (Note: If a payday includes days in excess of whole work weeks, the additional days should be counted as a fraction of a work week equal to the number of work days in excess of a whole work week divided by the number of work days in a normal work week.) |
|
| (8) |
COLUMN F. |
Subtract the amount in column E from the amount in column C, and enter here. |
|
| (9) |
COLUMN G. |
Enter here the lesser of the amount in column D and the amount in column F. |
|
| (10) |
COLUMN H. |
Enter here any amount claimed by you as a setoff, defense, lien, or claim, or any amount claimed by any other person as an exemption or adverse interest which would reduce the amount of earnings owing to the judgment debtor. (Note: Any indebtedness to you incurred within ten days prior to your receipt of the first execution levy on a debt may not be set off against the earnings otherwise subject to this levy. Any wage assignment made by the judgment debtor within ten days prior to your receipt of the first execution levy on a debt is void.) |
|
| You must also describe your claim(s) and the claims of others, if known, in the space provided below the worksheet and state the name(s) and address(es) of these persons. |
|||
| Enter zero in column H if there are no claims by you or others which would reduce the amount of earnings owing to the judgment debtor. |
|||
| (11) |
COLUMN I. |
Subtract the amount in column H from the amount in column G and enter here. This is the amount of earnings that you must remit for the payday for which the calculations were made. |
AFFIRMATION
I, ................... (person signing Affirmation), am the third party/employer or I am authorized by the third party/employer to complete this earnings disclosure, and have done so truthfully
and to the best of my knowledge.
| DATED: ..... |
.....
|
| Signature |
|
|
.....
|
|
| Title |
|
|
.....
|
|
| Telephone Number |
|
| EARNINGS DISCLOSURE WORKSHEET |
.....
|
| Debtor's Name |
| A |
B |
C |
||
| Payday Date |
Gross Earnings |
Disposable Earnings |
| 1. |
.....
|
$ ..... |
$ ..... |
||
| 2. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 3. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 4. |
.....
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.....
|
.....
|
||
| 5. |
.....
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.....
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.....
|
||
| 6. |
.....
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.....
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.....
|
||
| 7. |
.....
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.....
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.....
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||
| 8. |
.....
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.....
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.....
|
||
| 9. |
.....
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.....
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.....
|
||
| 10. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
| D |
E |
F |
||
| 25% of Column C |
40 X Min. Wage |
Column C minus Column E |
| 1. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 2. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 3. |
.....
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.....
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.....
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||
| 4. |
.....
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.....
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.....
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||
| 5. |
.....
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.....
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.....
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||
| 6. |
.....
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.....
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.....
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||
| 7. |
.....
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.....
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.....
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||
| 8. |
.....
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.....
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.....
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||
| 9. |
.....
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.....
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.....
|
||
| 10. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
| G |
H |
I |
||
| Lesser of Column D and Column F |
Setoff, Lien, Adverse Interest, or Other Claims |
Column G minus Column H |
| 1. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 2. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 3. |
.....
|
.....
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.....
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||
| 4. |
.....
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.....
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.....
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||
| 5. |
.....
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.....
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.....
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||
| 6. |
.....
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.....
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.....
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| 7. |
.....
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.....
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.....
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||
| 8. |
.....
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.....
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.....
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||
| 9. |
.....
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.....
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.....
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||
| 10. |
.....
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.....
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.....
|
||
| TOTAL OF COLUMN I |
$
.....
|
||||
your claims, or the claims of others. For amounts claimed by others, you must both state the
names and addresses of such persons, and the nature of their claim, if known.
.....
.....
.....
AFFIRMATION
I, ................. (person signing Affirmation), am the third party or I am authorized by the third party to complete this earnings disclosure worksheet, and have done so truthfully and to
the best of my knowledge.
|
.....
|
|||
| Signature |
|||
| Dated: |
.....
|
.....
|
(...)
.....
|
| Title |
Phone Number |
judgments. The judgment creditor shall provide to the sheriff for service upon a child support
judgment debtor's employer an execution earnings disclosure form and an earnings disclosure
worksheet with the writ of execution, that must be substantially in the form set forth below.
| STATE OF MINNESOTA |
DISTRICT COURT |
| COUNTY OF
.....
|
.....
JUDICIAL DISTRICT |
| FILE NO. ............ |
|
|
.....
(Judgment Creditor) |
|
| against |
EARNINGS |
|
.....
(Judgment Debtor) |
EXECUTION |
| and |
DISCLOSURE |
|
.....
(Third Party) |
DEFINITIONS
"EARNINGS": For the purpose of execution, "earnings" means compensation paid or payable to an employee for personal services or compensation paid or payable to the producer for
the sale of agricultural products; milk or milk products; or fruit or other horticultural products
produced when the producer is operating a family farm, a family farm corporation, or an
authorized farm corporation, as defined in section 500.24, subdivision 2, whether denominated as
wages, salary, commission, bonus, or otherwise, and includes periodic payments pursuant to a
pension or retirement, workers' compensation, or unemployment benefits.
"DISPOSABLE EARNINGS": Means that part of the earnings of an individual remaining
after the deduction from those earnings of amounts required by law to be withheld. (Amounts
required by law to be withheld do not include items such as health insurance, charitable
contributions, or other voluntary wage deductions.)
"PAYDAY": For the purpose of execution, "payday(s)" means the date(s) upon which the
employer pays earnings to the debtor in the ordinary course of business. If the judgment debtor
has no regular payday, payday(s) means the 15th and the last day of each month.
THE THIRD PARTY/EMPLOYER MUST ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:
(1) Do you now owe, or within 70 days from the date the execution levy was served on you,
will you or may you owe money to the judgment debtor for earnings?
| Yes
.....
|
No
.....
|
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE
EARNINGS DISCLOSUREA. If your answer to question 1 is "No," then you must sign the affirmation below and return
this disclosure to the sheriff within 20 days after it was served on you, and you do not need
to answer the remaining questions.
B. If your answer to question 1 is "Yes," you must complete this form and the Earnings
Disclosure Worksheet as follows:
For each payday that falls within 70 days from the date the execution levy was served on
you, YOU MUST calculate the amount of earnings to be retained by completing steps 2
through 8 on page 2, and enter the amounts on the Earnings Disclosure Worksheet. UPON
REQUEST, THE EMPLOYER MUST PROVIDE THE DEBTOR WITH INFORMATION
AS TO HOW THE CALCULATIONS REQUIRED BY THIS DISCLOSURE WERE
MADE.
Each payday, you must retain the amount of earnings listed in column G on the Earnings
Disclosure Worksheet.
You must pay the attached earnings and return this earnings disclosure form and the
Earnings Disclosure Worksheet to the sheriff and deliver a copy of the disclosure and
worksheet to the judgment debtor within ten days after the last payday that falls within the
70-day period. If the judgment is wholly satisfied or if the judgment debtor's employment
ends before the expiration of the 70-day period, your disclosure and remittance should be
made within ten days after the last payday for which earnings were attached.
For steps 2 through 8, "columns" refers to columns on the Earnings Disclosure Worksheet.
(2) COLUMN A. Enter the date of judgment debtor's payday.
(3) COLUMN B. Enter judgment debtor's gross earnings for each payday.
(4) COLUMN C. Enter judgment debtor's disposable earnings for each payday.
(5) COLUMN D. Enter either 50, 55, 60, or 65 percent of disposable earnings, based on
which of the following descriptions fits the child support judgment debtor:
(a) 50 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is
supporting a spouse or dependent child and the judgment is 12 weeks old or less (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received);
(b) 55 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is
supporting a spouse or dependent child, and the judgment is over 12 weeks old (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received);
(c) 60 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is not
supporting a spouse or dependent child and the judgment is 12 weeks old or less (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received); or
(d) 65 percent of the judgment debtor's disposable income, if the judgment debtor is not
supporting a spouse or dependent child, and the judgment is over 12 weeks old (12 weeks to be
calculated to the beginning of the work week in which the execution levy is received). (Multiply
column C by .50, .55, .60, or .65, as appropriate.)
(6) COLUMN E. Enter here any amount claimed by you as a setoff, defense, lien, or claim,
or any amount claimed by any other person as an exemption or adverse interest that would reduce
the amount of earnings owing to the judgment debtor. (Note: Any indebtedness to you incurred
within ten days prior to your receipt of the first execution levy may not be set off against the
earnings otherwise subject to this levy. Any wage assignment made by the judgment debtor within
ten days prior to your receipt of the first execution levy is void.)
You must also describe your claim(s) and the claims of others, if known, in the space
provided below the worksheet and state the name(s) and address(es) of these persons.
Enter zero in column E if there are no claims by you or others that would reduce the amount
of earnings owing to the judgment debtor.
(7) COLUMN F. Subtract the amount in column E from the amount in column D and enter
here. This is the amount of earnings that you must remit for the payday for which the calculations
were made.
AFFIRMATION
I, ................... (person signing Affirmation), am the third party/employer or I am authorized by the third party/employer to complete this earnings disclosure, and have done so truthfully
and to the best of my knowledge.
| Dated:
.....
|
.....
|
| Signature |
|
|
.....
|
|
| Title |
|
|
.....
|
|
| Telephone Number |
|
| EARNINGS DISCLOSURE WORKSHEET |
.....
|
| Debtor's Name |
| A |
B |
C |
||
| Payday Date |
Gross Earnings |
Disposable Earnings |
| 1. |
.....
|
$
.....
|
$
.....
|
||
| 2. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 3. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 4. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 5. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 6. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 7. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 8. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 9. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 10. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
| D |
E |
F |
||
| Either 50, 55, 60, or 65% of Column C |
Setoff, Lien, Adverse Interest, or Other Claims |
Column D minus Column E |
| 1. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 2. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 3. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 4. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 5. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 6. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 7. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 8. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 9. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| 10. |
.....
|
.....
|
.....
|
||
| TOTAL OF COLUMN F |
$
.....
|
||||
your claims, or the claims of others. For amounts claimed by others, you must both state the
names and addresses of such persons, and the nature of their claim, if known.
.....
.....
.....
AFFIRMATION
I, ................. (person signing Affirmation), am the third party or I am authorized by the third party to complete this earnings disclosure worksheet, and have done so truthfully and to
the best of my knowledge.
|
.....
|
|||
| Signature |
|||
| Dated: |
.....
|
.....
|
(...)
.....
|
| Title |
Phone Number |
mail upon the judgment debtor not later than five days after service is made on the judgment
debtor's employer, a copy of the writ of execution and copies of all other papers served on the
judgment debtor's employer.
Subd. 12. Third party disclosure and remittance obligation. If there are no attachable
earnings, the third party shall serve the execution earnings disclosure form upon the sheriff within
20 days after service of the writ of execution. However, if the judgment debtor has attachable
earnings, the third party shall serve the execution earnings disclosure form and remit to the sheriff
the attached earnings within ten days of the last payday to occur within the 70 days after the date
of the service of the execution. If the judgment is wholly satisfied or if the judgment debtor's
employment ends before the expiration of the 70-day period, the disclosure and remittance should
be made within ten days after the last payday for which earnings were attached. The amount of
the third party's execution earnings disclosure form and remittance need not exceed 110 percent
of the amount of the judgment creditor's judgment that remains unpaid, after subtracting the total
of setoffs, defenses, exemption, or other adverse interests. If the disclosure is by a corporation, it
shall be made by an officer or an authorized agent having knowledge of the facts.
Subd. 13. Penalty for retaliation or discharge. (a) An employer shall not discharge or
otherwise discipline an employee as a result of an earnings levy authorized by this chapter.
(b) If an employer violates this section, a court may order the reinstatement of an aggrieved
party who demonstrates a violation of this section, and other relief the court considers appropriate.
The aggrieved party may bring a civil action within 90 days of the date of the prohibited action.
If an employer-employee relationship existed before the violation of this section, the employee
shall recover twice the wages lost as a result of this violation.
(c) The rights guaranteed by this section are not subject to abridgment and may not be
altered by employment contract.
History: 1990 c 606 art 1 s 3; 1991 c 156 s 15,16; 1993 c 156 s 2-4; 1994 c 488 s 8; 1997 c
203 art 6 s 92; 1998 c 382 art 2 s 18; 1999 c 107 s 66; 1999 c 159 s 141; 2000 c 343 s 4; 2000 c
405 s 2; 2005 c 164 s 29; 1Sp2005 c 7 s 28
Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes