An order of attachment is annulled when the action in which it was granted abates or is discontinued, or a judgment entered therein in favor of the plaintiff is fully satisfied, or a judgment is entered therein in favor of the defendant. In the last specified case a stay of proceedings suspends the effect of the annulment, and a reversal or vacating of the judgment revives the order of attachment.
§ 6224.Annulment of attachment.
Article 62. Attachment · Last amended 1963 · Last verified July 21, 2026
In one sentenceCPLR 6224 ends an order of attachment automatically once the underlying action abates, is discontinued, or ends in a satisfied judgment for the plaintiff or any judgment for the defendant.
Full Text of CPLR 6224
Plain-English Summary
An attachment is tied to the life of the action that produced it, and CPLR 6224 spells out exactly when that tie snaps. The order is annulled the moment the action abates or is discontinued, the moment a judgment for the plaintiff is fully satisfied, or the moment a judgment is entered for the defendant. Once any of those events happens, the attachment no longer has legal effect.
The rule for a defendant's judgment carries a wrinkle for appeals. If the case is stayed pending appeal, the stay suspends the annulment, keeping the attachment alive rather than letting it lapse while the judgment might still be overturned. And if the judgment for the defendant is later reversed or vacated, the order of attachment revives, picking up where it left off rather than requiring the plaintiff to start over.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does an order of attachment end automatically in New York?
Under CPLR 6224, it is annulled when the action abates or is discontinued, when a judgment for the plaintiff is fully satisfied, or when a judgment is entered for the defendant.
Does an attachment survive a defendant's win if the plaintiff appeals?
It can. CPLR 6224 provides that a stay of proceedings pending appeal suspends the annulment that a defendant's judgment would otherwise trigger.
What happens to an attachment if a defendant's judgment gets reversed on appeal?
CPLR 6224 revives the order of attachment once the judgment in the defendant's favor is reversed or vacated.
Does paying off the judgment end the attachment?
Yes. Full satisfaction of a judgment entered for the plaintiff annuls the order of attachment under CPLR 6224.
Does discontinuing a lawsuit automatically release the attachment?
Yes. CPLR 6224 annuls the order of attachment when the underlying action is discontinued.
Advisory Committee Notes
This section derives from CPA § 7(4). Although the language has been simplified, no change of substance is intended.
Amendment History
Add, L 1962, ch 308, eff Sept 1, 1963.
Source & verification. Provision text, History, and Advisory
Committee Notes are reproduced verbatim from the Consolidated Laws of New York.
Last verified July 21, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: when does an attachment end New Yorkannulment of attachment CPLRattachment after judgment for defendantNew York attachment expires case dismissed