6:7-2. Orders for Discovery; Information Subpoenas
- (a) Order for Discovery. The court may, upon the filing by the judgment creditor or a successor in interest (if that interest appears of record) of a petition verified by the judgment creditor or the creditor's agent or attorney stating the amount due on the judgment, make an order, upon good cause shown, requiring any person who may possess information concerning property of the judgment debtor to appear before the attorney for the judgment creditor or any other person authorized to administer an oath and make discovery under oath concerning that property at a time and place therein specified. The location specified shall be in the county where the person to be deposed lives or works.
No more than one appearance of any such person may be required without further court order. The time and place specified in the order shall not be changed without the written consent of the person to be deposed or upon further order of the court. - (b) Information Subpoena
- (1) To Judgment Debtor. An information subpoena may be served upon the judgment debtor, without leave of court, accompanied by an original and copy of written questions and a prepaid, addressed return envelope. The information subpoena and written questions shall be in the form and limited to those set forth in Appendix XI-L to these Rules. Answers shall be made in writing, under oath or certification, by the person upon whom served, if an individual, or by an officer, director, agent or employee having the information sought, if a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship. The original subpoena, with the answers to the written questions annexed thereto shall be returned to the judgment creditor, if pro se, or judgment creditor's attorney within 14 days after service thereof.
An information subpoena shall not be served on a judgment debtor more frequently than once in any six-month period without leave of court. - (2) To Other Person or Entity. An information subpoena may be served upon banking institutions possibly used by the judgment-debtor without leave of court or upon possible employers or account-debtors (who are business entities) of the judgment-debtor upon ex parte application, supported by certification, and court order, if the judgment-debtor has failed to fully answer an information subpoena served pursuant to subparagraph (1) within 21 days of service. The application shall be granted if the court determines that the information subpoena is reasonably necessary to effectuate a post-judgment judicial remedy and that the party receiving the subpoena may have in their possession information about the debtor that will assist the creditor in collecting the judgment. The information subpoena shall be accompanied by an original and copy of written questions and a prepaid, addressed return envelope. The information subpoena and written questions shall be in the form and limited to those set forth in Appendix XI-R to these Rules, except that an information subpoena served upon a banking institution shall contain a certification by the judgment-creditor or the creditor's attorney that the debtor has failed to fully answer an information subpoena served pursuant to R. 6:7-2(b)(1) within 21 days of service, that the information subpoena is reasonably necessary to effectuate a post-judgment judicial remedy, and that the bank may have in its possession information about the debtor that will assist the creditor in collecting the judgment. Answers shall be made in writing, under oath or certification, by the person served, if an individual, or by an officer, director, agent or employee having the information sought, if a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship. The original subpoena, with the answers to the written questions annexed thereto, shall be returned to the judgment creditor, if pro se, or judgment creditor's attorney within 14 days after service thereof.
- (1) To Judgment Debtor. An information subpoena may be served upon the judgment debtor, without leave of court, accompanied by an original and copy of written questions and a prepaid, addressed return envelope. The information subpoena and written questions shall be in the form and limited to those set forth in Appendix XI-L to these Rules. Answers shall be made in writing, under oath or certification, by the person upon whom served, if an individual, or by an officer, director, agent or employee having the information sought, if a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship. The original subpoena, with the answers to the written questions annexed thereto shall be returned to the judgment creditor, if pro se, or judgment creditor's attorney within 14 days after service thereof.
- (c) Service of Proceedings. A copy of the order for discovery as provided in paragraph (a) of this rule shall be served personally or by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, and simultaneously by regular mail, at least 10 days before the date for appearance fixed therein. The information subpoena, as provided for in paragraph (b) of this rule shall be served personally or by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, and simultaneously by regular mail.
Service of an order for discovery or an information subpoena shall be effective as set forth in R. 6:2-3(d)(4). Upon completion of service, the failure to comply with an information subpoena shall be treated as a failure to comply with an order for discovery entered in accordance with paragraph (a) of this rule. - (d) Enforcement Against Other Person or Entity. Proceedings to seek relief pursuant to R. 1:10-3, when a person who is not a party fails to obey an order for discovery or an information subpoena, may be commenced by order to show cause or notice of motion.
- (e) Enforcement by Motion. Proceedings to seek relief pursuant to R. 1:10-3, when a judgment-debtor fails to obey an order for discovery or an information subpoena, shall be commenced by notice of motion supported by affidavit or certification. The notice of motion and certification shall be in the form set forth in Appendices XI-M and N to these Rules. The notice of motion shall contain a return date and shall be served on the judgment-debtor and filed with the clerk of the court not later than 10 days before the time specified for the return date. The moving papers shall be served on the judgment-debtor either in person or simultaneously by regular and certified mail, return receipt requested. The notice of motion shall state that the relief sought will include an order:
- (1) adjudicating that the judgment-debtor has violated the litigant's rights of the judgment-creditor by failing to comply with the order for discovery or information subpoena;
- (2) compelling the judgment-debtor to immediately furnish answers as required by the order for discovery or information subpoena;
- (3) directing that if the judgment-debtor fails to appear in court on the return date or to furnish the required answers, he or she shall be arrested and confined to the county jail until he or she has complied with the order for discovery or information subpoena;
- (4) directing the judgment-debtor, if he or she fails to appear in court on the return date, to pay the judgment-creditor's attorney fees, if any, in connection with the motion to enforce litigant's rights; and
- (5) granting such other relief as may be appropriate.
The notice of motion shall also state, in the case of an information subpoena, that the court appearance may be avoided by furnishing to the judgment-creditor written answers to the information subpoena and questionnaire at least 3 days before the return date.
- (f) Order to Enforce Litigant's Rights. If the judgment-debtor has failed to appear in court on the return date and the court enters an order to enforce litigant's rights, it shall be in the form set forth in Appendix XI-O to these Rules and shall state that upon the judgment-debtor's failure, within 10 days of the certified date of mailing or personal service of the order, to comply with the information subpoena or discovery order, the court will issue an arrest warrant. The judgment-creditor shall serve a copy of the signed order upon the judgment-debtor either personally or by mailing it simultaneously by regular and certified mail, return receipt requested. The date of mailing or personal service shall be certified on the order.
- (g) Warrant for Arrest. Upon the judgment-creditor's certification, in the form set forth in Appendix XI-P to these Rules, that a copy of the signed order to enforce litigant's rights has been served upon the judgment-debtor as provided in this rule, that 10 days have elapsed and that there has been no compliance with the information subpoena or discovery order, the court may issue an arrest warrant. If the judgment-debtor is to be arrested in a county other than the one in which the judgment was entered, the warrant shall be issued directly to a Special Civil Part Officer or the Sheriff of the county where the judgment debtor is to be arrested, and the warrant shall have annexed to it copies of the order to enforce litigant's rights and the certification in support of the application for the warrant. The warrant shall be in the form set forth in Appendix XI-Q to these Rules and, except for good cause shown and upon such other terms as the court may direct, shall be executed by a Special Civil Part Officer or Sheriff only between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on a day when the court is in session. If the notice of motion and order to enforce litigant's rights were served on the judgment-debtor by mail, the warrant may be executed only at the address to which they were sent. In all cases the arrested judgment-debtor shall promptly be brought before a judge of the Superior Court in the county where the judgment-debtor is arrested and released upon compliance with the order for discovery or information subpoena. When the judgment-debtor has been arrested for failure to answer an information subpoena, the clerk shall furnish the judgment-debtor with a blank form containing the questions attached to the information subpoena, as set forth in Appendix XI-L to these Rules.
- (h) Execution of Warrants by Special Civil Part Officers and Sheriffs. A warrant may be directed to the sheriff in the first instance, but a warrant directed to a Special Civil Part Officer shall remain with the Officer for execution for six months, at the conclusion of which the Officer shall furnish a certification of his or her efforts to serve the warrant and the judgment creditor may apply ex parte for an order directing the issuance of a warrant to the sheriff.
- (i) Expiration of Unserved Warrants. If the warrant for arrest is not executed within 24 months after the date of the entry of the order authorizing it, both the order and the warrant shall be deemed to have expired and to be of no further effect.
