garnishment

garnishment, in law, means of requiring a third party who holds a debt (including wages) due a defendant to retain the property temporarily. The garnishment consists of a warning, in the form of a judgment, to the third party, called the garnishee, not to deliver the goods or money due to the defendant, but to hold them in trust pending the outcome of the plaintiff's suit. This provisional remedy guarantees the plaintiff at least some recovery if he wins the case.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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