(a) APPLICABILITY. The provisions of this rule do not supersede or repeal any other rule of this court unless in express conflict and must apply only to attachments issued pursuant to D.C. Code §§ 16-571 to -584 (2012 Repl.) and 15 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq.
Rule 69-II.Particular Provisions for Attachments of Wages After Judgment
Group VIII: Provisional and Final Remedies · Last amended 2017 · Last verified July 14, 2026
In one sentenceRule 69-II applies specifically to wage attachments under D.C. Code §§ 16-571 to -584, requiring creditors to report outside payments and apply garnished wages in a set order — interest, then principal, then awarded fees and costs — and allowing the court to vacate an attachment and award fees against a creditor who fails to comply.
Full Text of Rule 69-II
(b) REPORTING CREDITS AGAINST JUDGMENT. It is the duty of a judgment creditor who is receiving payments on account of the judgment from an employer-garnishee and who will receive credits upon said judgment from a source other than said employer- garnishee to notify said employer-garnishee and the clerk in writing of such receipt within 14 days, including the date, amount, and source.
(c) SCHEDULE AND RECEIPT FOR PAYMENTS. Every judgment creditor receiving payments from an employer-garnishee pursuant to the issuance of a wage attachment is obligated to credit the payments first against the accrued interest on the unpaid balance of the judgment, if any, second on the principal amount of the judgment, and third on those attorney's fees and costs actually assessed in the cause, and must send a receipt to the garnishee within 7 days after such payment, which receipt must set forth the application of such payment pursuant to the schedule above.
(d) NONCOMPLIANCE. If any judgment creditor fails to comply with this rule or with the statutory provisions cited in Rule 69-II(a), the court may in its discretion, on motion of any interested party:
(1) enter an order vacating and setting aside the attachment and continuing levy of said judgment creditor then in force and effect, but without prejudice to the refiling and serving of another attachment, which must follow prior attachment of wages of the judgment debtor in the hands of the same employer-garnishee; and
(2) enter a judgment of a reasonable attorney's fee and tax costs in favor of the party filing the motion to vacate and set aside the attachment.
Comments
2017 Amendments:
Stylistic changes were made to this rule to conform with the 2007 amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Also, time periods were adjusted to reflect the new time computation method in Rule 6. Finally, the section regarding dockets cards has been eliminated as obsolete.
Comment:
Rule 69-II contains certain specific provisions with respect to post judgment attachments.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 69-II narrows in on one specific tool from the broader attachment framework: garnishment of a judgment debtor's wages. It applies only to attachments issued under the District of Columbia's wage-garnishment statute and the corresponding federal consumer credit protection law, and it does not override any other rule of the Superior Court unless there is an express conflict.
Two obligations fall on the judgment creditor here. First, if the creditor is receiving wage payments from an employer-garnishee but is also getting credits toward the same judgment from some other source, the creditor must notify both the employer-garnishee and the clerk in writing within 14 days, stating the date, amount, and source of that outside payment — a safeguard against a garnishee continuing to withhold wages that have effectively already been paid off elsewhere. Second, Rule 69-II(c) fixes the order in which garnished wage payments must be credited: first against any accrued interest on the unpaid judgment balance, second against the principal, and third against attorney's fees and costs assessed in the case. The creditor must send the garnishee a receipt within 7 days of each payment showing how it was applied under that order.
Noncompliance carries a real cost. If a creditor fails to follow either the reporting duty or the underlying wage-garnishment statute, the court may, on a motion from an interested party, vacate the existing attachment — without stopping the creditor from filing and serving a new one later, so long as it follows any prior attachment already in place against the same employer-garnishee — and can also award reasonable attorney's fees and costs to the party who moved to vacate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Rule 69-II govern every kind of attachment, or just wage garnishments?
Just wage garnishments. Rule 69-II(a) limits the rule to attachments issued under D.C. Code §§ 16-571 to -584 and the federal consumer credit protection statute, and it does not displace any other Superior Court rule unless there is an express conflict.
What must a creditor do if it starts getting paid from a source other than the employer-garnishee?
Rule 69-II(b) requires the creditor to notify the employer-garnishee and the clerk in writing within 14 days, stating the date, amount, and source of the outside payment received toward the judgment.
In what order must a creditor apply garnished wage payments?
First against accrued interest on the unpaid judgment balance, second against the principal amount, and third against attorney's fees and costs assessed in the case, with a receipt showing that application sent to the garnishee within 7 days.
What happens if a creditor doesn't follow these wage-garnishment requirements?
The court can, on a party's motion, vacate the existing attachment and award reasonable attorney's fees and costs against the noncompliant creditor, though the creditor may still file and serve a new attachment later.
Does Rule 69-II replace the more general attachment procedures in Rule 69-I?
No. It supplements them with wage-specific rules and expressly does not supersede or repeal any other Superior Court rule unless it is in express conflict with it.
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: wage attachment credits against judgmentgarnishee payment schedule dcconsumer credit protection act wage garnishment dcvacating a wage attachment dc