# Courts and Judicial Proceedings (GCJ)

## Title 3. Courts of General Jurisdiction -- Jurisdiction/special Causes of Action

### Subtitle 3. Attachment

#### Section 3-301

(a) A court of equity or a court of law, including the District Court, may issue an attachment on a judgment or decree in lieu of any other execution.

(b) A plaintiff may attach a debt due the defendant on a judgment or decree of a court of law or equity, including the District Court.

(c) If the property attached consists of a debt due the defendant on a judgment, the attachment does not prevent the issuance of execution of the judgment, provided the writ of execution shall direct the proceeds of the execution to be brought into court, subject to further order of the court to abide the result in the attachment.

#### Section 3-302

A court of law including the District Court, within the limits of its jurisdiction, may issue an attachment at the commencement of the action or while it is pending against any property or credits, whether matured or unmatured, belonging to the debtor upon the application of the plaintiff in the action.

#### Section 3-303

(a) An attachment before judgment may issue in any of the instances in this section.

(b) If the debtor is a nonresident individual, or a corporation which has no resident agent in this State, and:

  (1) The debtor is a person over whom the court could exercise personal jurisdiction pursuant to Sec.Sec. 6-102, 6-103, and 6-104 of this article; or

  (2) The action involves claims to property in this State which property is to be attached; or

  (3) The action is any other in which the attachment is constitutionally permitted.

(c) If a resident individual defendant or an agent authorized to accept process for a corporation has acted to evade service.

(d) If the debtor has absconded or is about to abscond from the State; or if an individual has removed, or is about to remove, from his place of abode in the State with intent to defraud his creditors.

(e)

  (1) If the debtor is about to assign, dispose of, conceal, or remove his property or a portion of it from the State with intent to defraud his creditors; or

  (2) If the debtor has done any of these acts, or fraudulently contracted the debt or incurred the obligation which is the subject of the pending action.

(f) If the debtor is deceased and an adult nonresident is entitled by descent or devise from the debtor to any land or interest in land in the State, an attachment may issue against that land or interest held by descent or devise from the person indebted.

(g) If any person who is required to be but is not licensed under the provisions of the Maryland Home Improvement Law, in an action against that person arising out of a home improvement transaction.

#### Section 3-304

(a) An attachment under Sec. 3-303(b), (d), and (g) of this subtitle may issue in an action based on contract, whether the damages are liquidated or unliquidated, or in an action based on tort.

(b) An attachment under Sec. 3-303(c), (e), and (f) of this subtitle may issue only in an action based on contract for liquidated damages.

#### Section 3-305

An attachment may be issued against any property or credit, matured or unmatured, which belong to a debtor.

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Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. (as displayed at mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 16, 2026)