MacDonald v. MacDonald
MacDonald v. MacDonald
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff filed a complaint for contempt in the Probate Court alleging the defendant’s arrearages in alimony and support payments under an order of September 13, 1982, totalling $5,908.31. On September 26, 1983, a probate judge authorized an attachment of certain of the defend
We assume, without deciding, that the Massachusetts Rules of Domestic Relations Procedure govern the credit union’s motion.
Even if there had been adequate notice, we doubt whether the probate judge could properly dissolve the attachment under G. L. c. 223, §§ 106 and 108 (1986 ed.), on the grounds urged by the credit union. Those provisions permit dissolution of an attachment upon a finding that all or part of the amount demanded in the original action was “not justly due.” The probate
Furthermore, decisions interpreting earlier statutes containing analogous provisions make clear that §§106 and 108 provide a remedy against attachments which are invalid or fraudulent.
We can understand the judge’s concern that the defendant not be unjustly enriched by the unfortunate error of the credit union’s attorney. However, the question of the attorney’s error was one which the credit union had “no right to [raise] in this form of proceeding. It does not show that the debt was not justly due and owing, or that it was not then payable; and, therefore, they show no sufficient ground for vacating the attachment, on petition, by force of this statute.” Baird v. Williams, supra at 385-386 (construing predecessor statute). Therefore, the order dissolving the attachment is vacated, and the attachment is to be effective on the date it was originally recorded.
So ordered.
Richard MacDonald is not a party to this appeal.
See Mass. R. Civ. P. 1, as amended, 385 Mass. 1213 (1982). We note, however, that even if the proper procedure for the credit union’s motion is to be found in the rules of the Probate Court, the outcome of this case would remain unchanged, since the credit union failed to comply with the notice provisions of either set of rules. Compare Rule 6 of the Probate Court with Mass. R. Dom. Rel. 6 (c).
Excessive attachments are governed by G. L. c. 233, § 114 (1986 ed.), which requires, inter alia, that “Notice . . . shall be served upon each of the parties in accordance with the applicable rules of court.” The credit union does not argue that the attachment could have been reduced by virtue of this provision; hence we do not consider the question here.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Mary E. MacDonald v. Richard G. MacDonald
- Status
- Published