BANK LEVY INSTRUCTIONS

CASE INFORMATION

Court Name: ____________________________________________________________

Case Number: ___________________________________________________________

Writ of Execution Number: ______________________________________________

Writ Issue Date: _______________________________________________________

Writ Expiration Date: __________________________________________________

PARTIES

Judgment Creditor

Name: __________________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________

City, State, ZIP: ______________________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________ Email: ________________________

Attorney Name: _________________________________________________________

Attorney Bar Number: ___________________________________________________

Attorney Phone: ________________________ Fax: ________________________

Judgment Debtor

Name (as appears on accounts): _________________________________________

Alternate Names/DBA: ___________________________________________________

Address of Record: _____________________________________________________

City, State, ZIP: ______________________________________________________

SSN (last 4 digits): XXX-XX-____________________________________________

Date of Birth: _________________________________________________________

Tax ID/EIN (if business): ______________________________________________

JUDGMENT INFORMATION

Original Judgment Amount: $______________________________________________

Judgment Date: _________________________________________________________

Post-Judgment Interest Rate: __________% per annum

Interest Accrued to Date: $_____________________________________________

Additional Costs/Fees: $_________________________________________________

Credits/Payments Received: $____________________________________________

TOTAL AMOUNT TO COLLECT: $______________________________________________

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION INFORMATION

Primary Financial Institution

Bank/Credit Union Name: ________________________________________________

Branch Name: ___________________________________________________________

Branch Address: ________________________________________________________

City, State, ZIP: ______________________________________________________

Routing Number (ABA): __________________________________________________

Bank Contact/Garnishment Dept.: ________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________ Fax: __________________________

Email (if accepts electronic service): __________________________________

Account Information (if known)

Additional Financial Institutions (if applicable)

Institution 2: _________________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________________
Account Number(s): _____________________________________________________

Institution 3: _________________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________________
Account Number(s): _____________________________________________________

LEVY INSTRUCTIONS TO LEVYING OFFICER

Levying Officer Information

Agency: ☐ Sheriff ☐ Marshal ☐ Constable ☐ Private Process Server

County: ________________________________________________________________

Contact Name: __________________________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________ Fax: __________________________

Instructions

TO THE LEVYING OFFICER:

You are hereby instructed to levy upon all accounts, funds, and deposits held by the above-named financial institution(s) in the name of the judgment debtor, including but not limited to:

☐ Checking accounts
☐ Savings accounts
☐ Money market accounts
☐ Certificates of deposit (CDs)
☐ Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) - if not exempt
☐ Trust accounts where debtor is beneficiary
☐ Safe deposit box contents
☐ Negotiable instruments
☐ Any other accounts or funds

Specific Account Instructions

☐ Levy on ALL accounts in debtor's name at this institution

☐ Levy on SPECIFIC accounts only:
Account Number(s): _____________________________________________________

☐ Levy on accounts held jointly with: _____________________________________
(Note: Joint account rules vary by state)

☐ Include accounts where debtor is authorized signer but not owner: ☐ Yes ☐ No

Safe Deposit Box Instructions (if applicable)

☐ Do NOT levy on safe deposit box

☐ Levy on safe deposit box number: ________________________________________
- Arrange for drill/access if debtor does not appear
- Inventory contents with witness present
- Hold non-exempt contents for disposition

FEDERAL EXEMPTION REQUIREMENTS

Automatic Protection of Federal Benefits (31 CFR Part 212)

Financial institutions must automatically protect funds from garnishment if the account received federal benefit payments by direct deposit within the past 60 days. Protected benefits include:

☐ Social Security (retirement, disability, SSI)
☐ Veterans benefits
☐ Federal Railroad Retirement
☐ Federal Civil Service Retirement
☐ Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS)

Protected Amount Calculation:
- Look back 60 days from levy receipt date
- Sum of all federal benefit direct deposits = protected amount
- Minimum protection: Lesser of account balance or sum of deposits

Bank's Compliance Obligations

The financial institution MUST:

1. Review account for direct deposits of federal benefits in past 60 days
2. Automatically protect the sum of such deposits (up to account balance)
3. Notify account holder of levy and protected amounts
4. Allow access to protected funds
5. Freeze only non-protected amounts

DO NOT instruct the bank to freeze protected federal benefits.

STATE-SPECIFIC EXEMPTION REQUIREMENTS

California (CCP § 704.070, 704.080)

Automatic Exemptions:
☐ First $1,788 in deposit account (automatic protection)
☐ Public benefits (CalWORKs, SSI/SSP, unemployment, disability)
☐ 75% of wages deposited within 30 days (or amount exceeding 40× state minimum wage)

Required Bank Actions:
- Automatically exempt minimum protected amount
- Provide debtor with exemption claim forms
- Hold funds for 15 days before turnover to allow exemption claims

Debtor Notice Required: Bank must notify debtor within 2 business days

New York (CPLR § 5222-a, 5232)

Exempt Amounts:
☐ First $3,600 automatically protected from execution
☐ Reasonably identifiable Social Security and public assistance
☐ 90% of wages deposited within 60 days (for debtors below 250% poverty level)

Required Bank Actions:
- Automatically exempt minimum protected amount ($3,600)
- Cannot charge fee exceeding $50 for processing
- Provide written notice to account holder
- Allow 20 days for debtor to claim additional exemptions

Prohibited Fees: Bank cannot charge fee if account balance below exempt amount

Texas (TX Property Code § 42.0021)

Exempt Amounts:
☐ Current wages: 100% exempt from consumer debt garnishment
☐ Wages in account: Exempt for 60 days after deposit if traceable
☐ Federal benefits: Fully exempt

Special Requirements:
- Bank must attempt to identify exempt deposits
- Debtor may file written claim of exemption
- Funds remain frozen pending court determination

Note: Texas generally does not permit bank levies for consumer debts; exceptions include child support, taxes, and student loans.

Florida (FL Statute § 222.11)

Head of Family Exemption:
☐ Wages 100% exempt if disposable earnings ≤ $750/week
☐ Six months of wages in account remain exempt if traceable
☐ Must assert head of family status

Non-Wage Exemptions:
☐ Disability income: Fully exempt
☐ Federal benefits: Fully exempt
☐ Life insurance proceeds: Fully exempt

Tracing Requirement: Debtor must demonstrate which funds are exempt wages

PROCEDURES FOR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION

Upon Receipt of Levy

Day 1 - Immediate Actions:
☐ Verify levy documentation is complete and valid
☐ Identify all accounts matching debtor name/identifiers
☐ Freeze accounts up to judgment amount plus fees
☐ Check for protected federal benefit deposits (60-day lookback)
☐ Calculate and protect exempt amounts automatically
☐ Document all accounts found and balances

Days 1-2 - Notification:
☐ Send written notice to account holder(s)
☐ Include exemption claim forms
☐ Provide copy of levy documentation
☐ Inform of deadline to file exemption claims

Holding Period (varies by state):
☐ California: 15 days
☐ New York: 20 days
☐ Florida: 20 days
☐ Other: _______ days per state law

After Holding Period:
☐ Review any exemption claims filed
☐ Release exempt amounts to debtor
☐ Remit non-exempt funds to levying officer
☐ Provide accounting to all parties
☐ Continue hold on disputed amounts pending court ruling

Information to Include in Response

Garnishee Answer/Response Must Include:
1. List of all accounts in debtor's name
2. Account numbers and types
3. Balance in each account as of levy date
4. Amount of automatically protected federal benefits
5. Amount of other state-law exempt funds
6. Amount available for turnover
7. Existence of any prior levies or holds
8. Joint account holder information
9. Safe deposit box information (if applicable)
10. Any setoff rights bank intends to exercise

JOINT ACCOUNT PROCEDURES

Identification of Joint Accounts

☐ Account is solely in judgment debtor's name

☐ Account is jointly held with:
Co-owner Name: _____________________________________________________
Relationship: ______________________________________________________

State Rules for Joint Accounts

California: Presume equal ownership; co-owner may claim greater share

New York: Presume equal ownership; rebuttable by evidence

Texas: Community property rules may apply; surviving spouse protections

Florida: Presume equal ownership; tenancy by entireties protection for married couples

Co-Owner Rights

☐ Co-owner may file claim for their share of funds
☐ Co-owner may provide evidence of contribution
☐ Bank should not release co-owner's share without court order
☐ Tenancy by entireties accounts may be fully exempt (FL, others)

TIMING AND DEADLINES

Critical Dates

Levy Duration

Maximum Levy Duration: _________________________________________________

Renewal Required By: ___________________________________________________

Continuous Levy Option: ☐ Yes ☐ No (if yes, duration: ________________)

FEES AND COSTS

Levying Officer Fees

Bank Garnishment Processing Fees

Note: Bank cannot charge fee if entire account balance is exempt.

Costs to Add to Judgment

☐ Levying officer fees: $______________
☐ Bank processing fees: $______________
☐ Attorney fees for collection: $______________
☐ Court costs: $______________

EXEMPTION CLAIM PROCEDURES

If Debtor Files Exemption Claim

Levying Officer Must:
☐ Provide copy of claim to judgment creditor
☐ Schedule hearing on disputed exemptions
☐ Continue hold on disputed funds pending hearing

Judgment Creditor Response:
☐ File opposition to exemption claim within _____ days
☐ Serve opposition on debtor
☐ Appear at exemption hearing

Common Exemption Defenses

☐ Funds are exempt Social Security benefits
☐ Funds are exempt wages (with percentage/amount)
☐ Account belongs to non-debtor party
☐ Debtor is head of family (Florida)
☐ Funds are traceable to exempt source
☐ Debtor needs funds for basic necessities
☐ Other: ________________________________________________________________

LEVY RETURN AND ACCOUNTING

Funds Collected

Disbursement

Remaining Balance on Judgment

Previous Balance: $______________________________________________________

Less Funds Collected: $__________________________________________________

Plus Additional Costs: $________________________________________________

NEW BALANCE DUE: $______________________________________________________

CHECKLIST FOR JUDGMENT CREDITOR

Before Levy

☐ Obtained valid writ of execution
☐ Identified financial institution(s) used by debtor
☐ Gathered account information (if available)
☐ Verified judgment not satisfied, stayed, or discharged
☐ Calculated current balance with interest
☐ Prepared levy instructions
☐ Deposited required fees with levying officer

During Levy Process

☐ Confirmed levy served on bank
☐ Monitored for debtor exemption claims
☐ Prepared opposition to invalid exemption claims
☐ Attended exemption hearing (if scheduled)

After Funds Collected

☐ Received accounting from levying officer
☐ Deposited funds received
☐ Updated judgment balance records
☐ Filed partial/full satisfaction of judgment (if applicable)
☐ Considered additional collection methods (if balance remains)

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Business Account Levy

☐ Verify account is in debtor's business name
☐ Check for innocent third-party funds (customer deposits, trust funds)
☐ Consider keeper levy if ongoing business receipts

Multiple Debtor Names

☐ List all known aliases and DBAs
☐ Include maiden name (if applicable)
☐ Include former business names

Cryptocurrency/Digital Assets

☐ Check if institution holds cryptocurrency
☐ May require specialized levy procedures
☐ Consult with attorney on digital asset collection

Foreign Currency Accounts

☐ Specify conversion instructions
☐ Note applicable exchange rate date

NOTICE TO FINANCIAL INSTITUTION

IMPORTANT COMPLIANCE NOTICE:

Failure to comply with this levy may result in the financial institution being held liable for the full judgment amount. The garnishee (financial institution) has a legal obligation to:

1. Freeze accounts upon receipt of valid levy
2. Protect automatically exempt amounts
3. Provide timely notice to account holders
4. Respond accurately within statutory deadlines
5. Turn over non-exempt funds as directed

Please direct any questions regarding this levy to:

Contact: _______________________________________________________________

Phone: _________________________________________________________________

Email: _________________________________________________________________

These instructions are issued pursuant to the attached writ of execution and applicable state law.

Judgment Creditor/Attorney Signature: ___________________________________

Date: __________________________________________________________________