You can’t take it: it belongs to my other half
The High Court sheriff is often in the situation where they are seizing assets that belong to a couple, married or co-habiting, and defendants state that the items belong to their spouse and therefore cannot be seized. In many cases, they are wrong!
Is a spouse liable?
The defendant may believe the goods are exempt from seizure because their husband, wife or partner is not liable for the defendant’s debts.
It is correct that the spouse will not be liable for debts incurred by their other half, unless named on judgment/writ, in which case the High Court sheriff is entitled to seize assets belonging to either party, as well as those jointly owned.
What about where Ownership is unclear unclear?
If the enforcement officer believes the goods belong to the defendant, he is able to seize them on paper, in other words, they are seized but not removed but will remain at the premises under a Walking Possession Agreement.
The spouse is then given five days to provide written proof of ownership. If the spouse does not dispute the seizure at the time and the goods are subsequently removed and/or sold, then they are able to claim ownership by starting an interpleader claim.
However, if goods are jointly owned, as many items will be, the enforcement officer can seize, remove and sell them if the debt remains unpaid.
In this case, the HCEO can apply to the court for interpleader relief. This means he is asking the court to decide how to divide the proceeds of the sale between the defendant and their co-owner spouse. The percentage of the proceeds determined as belonging to the spouse will go to them and the remainder will be used to satisfy the debt.
It is clear therefore that a simple claim that the goods belong to the other half is not enough. Written proof of ownership (and the absence of joint ownership with the defendant) is essential to prevent removal and this should include purchase receipts and bank statements where applicable.
if you want any further information about Debt recovery contact us at TM LAW for our expert advice.
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This blog post was originally featured on this members own blog.
The land or property registered as a personal property of the Thai spouse is often paid for by the foreign spouse but before the purchase given to the Thai spouse as a gift. If it is not transferred as a gift the land could under matrimonial property laws become a jointly owned (marital asset) or personal property of the foreign spouse, regardless of who is named on the title deed. The Thai spouse could in such case be considered acting as a nominee or agent acting on behalf of the foreign spouse which is illegal under Thai land laws. This is the reason the letter of confirmation signed jointly by husband and wife is required by the land office in Thailand before registration of transfer of ownership of the land.