Group IV: Parties · Last amended 2017 · Last verified July 14, 2026
In one sentenceRule 22 lets someone facing competing claims to the same money or property force all the claimants into one interpleader lawsuit, so a single court decides who is entitled to it instead of the stakeholder risking multiple, possibly contradictory, judgments.
(1)By a Plaintiff. Persons with claims that may expose a plaintiff to double or multiple liability may be joined as defendants and required to interplead. Service of process within this rule must be accomplished in the manner and within the time limits provided by Rule 4. Joinder for interpleader is proper even though:
(A)the claims of the several claimants, or the titles on which their claims depend, lack a common origin or are adverse and independent rather than identical; or
(B)the plaintiff denies liability in whole or in part to any or all of the claimants.
(2)By a Defendant. A defendant exposed to similar liability may seek interpleader through a crossclaim or counterclaim.
(b)RELATION TO OTHER RULES AND STATUTES. This rule supplements—and does not limit—the joinder of parties allowed by Rule 20.
Comments
2017 Amendments:
This rule is substantially similar to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 22, as amended in 2007, but maintains the following local distinctions: 1) the addition of a provision specifying that service of process must be accomplished in accordance with Rule 4; 2) the deletion of language addressing interpleader actions in federal district courts.
Comment:
Identical to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 22 except for deletion of section (2) thereof which deals with sections of Title 28, United States Code relating only to interpleader actions in federal district courts and for the addition of the provision that service of process under the Rule must be accomplished in accordance with Rule 4, including the time limit imposed by Rule 4(j).
Plain-English Summary
Rule 22(a)(1) lets a plaintiff holding property or money that several people might claim join all of those claimants as defendants and require them to interplead — to litigate against each other over who is entitled to it, rather than each suing the stakeholder separately. Service on the claimants follows Rule 4. Interpleader works even when the claimants' claims, or the titles their claims rest on, do not share a common origin, or are adverse to and independent of one another, and even when the plaintiff denies owing anything to some or all of the claimants.
Rule 22(a)(2) gives a defendant the same tool: a defendant facing similar exposure to competing claims can seek interpleader through a crossclaim or counterclaim rather than filing a separate action.
Rule 22(b) positions interpleader as an addition to ordinary party joinder, not a substitute for it — this rule supplements, and does not limit, the joinder of parties that Rule 20 already allows. The District of Columbia version of the rule drops references specific to federal-court interpleader statutes and adds the requirement that service on claimants follow Rule 4, consistent with how this Court otherwise handles service of process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is interpleader for?
Rule 22 lets a person or entity holding property or money claimed by multiple people join all the claimants in one lawsuit and require them to litigate against each other over entitlement, protecting the stakeholder from double or multiple liability on the same claim.
Do the competing claimants have to be asserting the same legal theory against me?
No. Rule 22(a)(1) allows interpleader even when the claimants' claims, or the titles they rest on, lack a common origin or are adverse to and independent of each other.
Can a defendant use interpleader, or is it only available to a plaintiff who filed first?
A defendant can use it too. Rule 22(a)(2) allows a defendant exposed to similar competing-claim liability to seek interpleader through a crossclaim or counterclaim.
Does interpleader replace the general rule allowing multiple parties to be joined in one case?
No. Rule 22(b) states that this rule supplements, and does not limit, the joinder of parties allowed under Rule 20, so interpleader is an additional tool rather than the exclusive one.
Can I still use interpleader if I deny owing anything to some or all of the claimants?
Yes. Rule 22(a)(1)(B) specifically allows interpleader even where the plaintiff denies liability in whole or in part to any or all of the claimants.
Source & verification. Rule text and official Comments are
reproduced verbatim from the District of Columbia Superior Court Rules of Civil
Procedure, adopted by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Last verified July 14, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:dc interpleader rulestakeholder competing claims lawsuit dcdouble liability interpleader dc superior courtinterplead crossclaim counterclaim dcrule 22 dc civil procedure