Texas Finance Code 276.002 – Garnishment of Financial Institution Account
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(a) Notwithstanding the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, if a financial institution fails to timely file an answer to a writ of garnishment issued before or after a judgment is rendered in the case, a court may enter a default judgment against the financial institution solely as to the existence of liability and not as to the amount of damages.
(b) A financial institution against which a default judgment is entered under Subsection (a) is not deemed to have in the financial institution’s possession or to have knowledge of sufficient debts, assets, or personal effects of the debtor to satisfy the debtor’s obligations to the garnishor.
Terms Used In Texas Finance Code 276.002
- Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Effects: includes all personal property and all interest in that property. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
- Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
(c) After a default judgment is entered against a financial institution as to the existence of liability as provided by Subsection (a), the garnishor has the burden to establish the amount of actual damages proximately caused to the garnishor by the financial institution’s default.
(d) The court may award to the garnishor:
(1) damages in the amount determined under Subsection (c); and
(2) for good cause shown, reasonable attorney’s fees incurred by the garnishor in establishing damages under Subsection (c).
(e) Notwithstanding Section 22.004, Government Code, the supreme court may not amend or adopt rules in conflict with this section.