A JUDGMENT DEBTOR CANNOT BRING AN ACTION IN TORT AGAINST THE CREDITOR OR THE MARSHAL ALLEGING DAMAGES STEMMING FROM THE SEIZURE OF PROPERTY TO BE APPLIED TO THE DEBT; THE JUDGMENT DEBTOR’S REMEDIES ARE CONFINED TO THOSE DESCRIBED IN CPLR 5239 AND 5240 (CT APP).
The Court of Appeals, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Garcia, over a two-judge dissent, and an additional single-judge dissent, determined a judgment debtor cannot bring a action in tort against the creditor or the marshal stemming from the seizure of the judgment debtor’s property. Any such claim must be made pursuant to CPLR 5239, 5240:
“[G]eneral provisions that permit ‘any interested person’—including a judgment debtor—to secure remedies for wrongs arising under the statutory scheme” are set out in CPLR 5239 and 5240 … . CPLR 5239 provides that “[p]rior to the application of property or debt by a sheriff or receiver to the satisfaction of a judgment, any interested person may commence a special proceeding against the judgment creditor or other person with whom a dispute exists to determine rights in the property or debt.” In such a proceeding, “[t]he court may vacate the execution or order, void the levy, direct the disposition of the property or debt, or direct that damages be awarded” … . Section 5240 in turn lays out the court’s power to, “at any time, on its own initiative or the motion of any interested person, and upon such notice as it may require, make an order denying, limiting, conditioning, regulating, extending or modifying the use of any enforcement procedure.” … CPLR 5240 grants the courts broad discretionary power to control and regulate the enforcement of a money judgment under article 52 to prevent ‘unreasonable annoyance, expense, embarrassment, disadvantage, or other prejudice to any person or the courts'” … . … CPLR 5240 provides courts with the ability to craft flexible and equitable responses to claims that arise with respect to enforcement of valid money judgments. Plymouth Venture Partners, II, L.P. v GTR Source, LLC, 2021 NY Slip Op 07055, CtApp 12-16-21