§6-6-430. Filing of bond; discharge of money or property from garnishment; proceedings as if bond not executed; judgment; discharge of garnishee.

(a) When garnishment has been issued in aid of a pending action or upon a judgment, the defendant may make and file with the judge or clerk issuing the garnishment bond in such sum as the judge or clerk may prescribe, not exceeding twice the amount of the plaintiff's demand, payable to the plaintiff, with sufficient surety, to be approved by such judge or clerk, conditioned to pay the amount for which the garnishee may be found indebted or liable to the defendant and the cost of the garnishment. Thereupon, the money or property in the hands of the garnishee is discharged from the garnishment and the garnishee relieved of all liability therefor to the plaintiff; but the garnishee must answer, and, except as is otherwise provided in this article, the case must proceed and be determined as if such bond had not been executed.

(b) If the garnishee is found to be indebted or liable to the defendant in money or property, the amount or value thereof must be ascertained and judgment entered for such amount or value against the defendant and the sureties on such bond and for the costs of the garnishment; but such judgment, exclusive of the costs of the garnishment, must not exceed the amount of the judgment, interest and costs in the original action or the amount of the bond. If the garnishee shall fail to answer, a conditional judgment may be entered against him and proceedings had thereon as in other cases; and, if the conditional judgment is made absolute, judgment for the like amount must be entered against the defendant and the sureties on his bond and for the costs of the garnishment, subject to the limitations expressed in this section; and execution thereon may issue against the defendant and his sureties on such bond, but not against the garnishee. No judgment must be entered against the bond until judgment has been entered in the original action in favor of the plaintiff against the defendant.

(c) The garnishee is not discharged from liability to the defendant until he has paid the debt or satisfied the demand the garnishment was intended to reach.

(Code 1896, §2183; Code 1907, §4312; Code 1923, §8063; Code 1940, T. 7, §1007.)