2329.44 Excess payable to debtor - notice to debtor. - Ohio Statutes

2329.44 Excess payable to debtor - notice to debtor.

(A) On a sale made pursuant to this chapter, if the officer who makes the sale receives from the sale more money than is necessary to satisfy the writ of execution, with interest and costs, the officer who made the sale shall deliver any balance remaining after satisfying the writ of execution, with interest and costs, to the clerk of the court that issued the writ of execution. The clerk then shall do one of the following:

(1) If the balance is twenty-five dollars or more, send to the judgment debtor whose property was the subject of the sale a notice that indicates the amount of the balance, informs the judgment debtor that he is entitled to receive the balance, and sets forth the procedure that the judgment debtor is required to follow to obtain the balance. This notice shall be sent to the judgment debtor at the address of the judgment debtor in the caption on the judgment or at any different address he may have provided, by certified mail, return receipt requested, within ninety days after the sale. If the certified mail envelope is returned with an endorsement showing failure or refusal of delivery, the clerk immediately shall send the judgment debtor, at the address of the judgment debtor in the caption on the judgment or any different address he may have provided, a similar notice by ordinary mail. If the ordinary mail envelope is returned for any reason, the clerk immediately shall give a similar notice to the judgment debtor by an advertisement in a newspaper published in and of general circulation in the county, which advertisement shall run once a week for at least three consecutive weeks.

(2) If the balance is less than twenty-five dollars, send to the judgment debtor whose property was the subject of the sale a notice that indicates the amount of the balance, informs the judgment debtor that he is entitled to receive the balance, and sets forth the procedure that the judgment debtor is required to follow to obtain the balance. This notice shall be sent to the judgment debtor at the address of the judgment debtor in the caption on the judgment or at any different address he may have provided, by ordinary mail.

(B)(1) Subject to division (B)(2) of this section, the clerk of the court that issued the writ of execution, on demand and whether or not the notice required by division (A)(1) or (2) of this section is provided as prescribed, shall pay the balance to the judgment debtor or his legal representatives.

(2) The clerk of the court that issued the writ of execution is not required to pay the balance to the judgment debtor or his legal representatives pursuant to division (B)(1) of this section until the judgment debtor or the legal representatives pay to the clerk twenty-five dollars if the balance is twenty-five dollars or more, or five dollars if the balance is less than twenty-five dollars to compensate the clerk for the costs incurred in the provision of the notice required by division (A)(1) or (2) of this section.

Effective Date: 07-16-1986