Family Orders and Agreements Enforcement Assistance Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.))
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Act current to 2024-08-18 and last amended on 2023-11-15. Previous Versions
PART IIGarnishment of Federal Moneys to Satisfy Orders
Interpretation
Marginal note:Definitions
23 (1) In this Part,
- garnishable moneys
garnishable moneys means moneys authorized to be paid by Her Majesty by or under such Acts of Parliament or provisions thereof or programs thereunder as are designated by the regulations; (sommes saisissables)
- garnishee summons
garnishee summons includes any document that is of a similar nature to a garnishee summons, including a court order and a document in respect of maintenance, alimony or support issued by a provincial enforcement service; (bref de saisie-arrêt)
- garnishment
garnishment includes attachment; (Version anglaise seulement)
- Her Majesty
Her Majesty means Her Majesty in right of Canada; (Sa Majesté)
- judgment debtor
judgment debtor means a person named in a garnishee summons in respect of whom garnishable moneys are sought to be garnisheed under this Part; (débiteur)
- Minister
Minister means the Minister of Justice; (ministre)
- provincial enforcement service
provincial enforcement service has the same meaning as in section 2; (autorité provinciale)
- provincial garnishment law
provincial garnishment law means the law of a province relating to garnishment as it applies to the enforcement of orders; (droit provincial en matière de saisie-arrêt)
- support order
support order means an order or judgment for maintenance, alimony or family financial support that is enforceable in any province; (ordonnance alimentaire)
- support provision
support provision means a provision in an agreement relating to the payment of maintenance or family financial support that is enforceable by a garnishee summons under provincial garnishment law. (entente alimentaire)
Marginal note:Refund of tax payable to client not discounter
(2) Notwithstanding the acquisition by a discounter from a client of a right to a refund of tax for the purposes of the Tax Rebate Discounting Act, the refund of tax remains, for the purposes of this Part, payable to the client and not the discounter.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 23
- 1992, c. 1, s. 66
- 1993, c. 8, s. 13(F)
- 2019, c. 16, s. 51
Garnishment of Her Majesty
Marginal note:Her Majesty may be garnisheed
24 Notwithstanding any other Act of Parliament preventing the garnishment of Her Majesty, Her Majesty may, for the enforcement of support orders and support provisions, be garnisheed in accordance with this Part in respect of all garnishable moneys.
Marginal note:Provincial garnishment law applies
25 Subject to section 26 and any regulations made under this Part, garnishment under this Part shall be in accordance with provincial garnishment law.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 25
- 1993, c. 8, s. 14
Marginal note:Inconsistencies with provincial garnishment law
26 In the event of any inconsistency between this Part or a regulation made under this Part and provincial garnishment law, the provincial garnishment law is overridden to the extent of the inconsistency.
Marginal note:Location of garnishable moneys
27 For the purposes of this Part, garnishable moneys are deemed to be located in the province in which a garnishee summons is issued in respect of the moneys.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 27
- 2019, c. 16, s. 53
Garnishee Summons
Marginal note:Service binds Her Majesty for five years
28 Subject to this Part and the regulations, service of the following documents on the Minister, namely,
(a) a garnishee summons, and
(b) [Repealed, 1997, c. 1, s. 21]
(c) an application in the form prescribed by the regulations,
binds Her Majesty for five years in respect of all garnishable moneys payable to the judgment debtor named in the garnishee summons.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 28
- 1993, c. 8, s. 15
- 1997, c. 1, s. 21
Marginal note:Calculation of five year period
29 For the purposes of section 28, the five year period referred to in that section commences on the expiration of the period prescribed by the regulations that immediately follows the service of the garnishee summons on the Minister.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 29
- 1993, c. 8, s. 15
Garnishee Summons of Continuing Effect
Marginal note:Her Majesty no longer bound
30 A garnishee summons against a judgment debtor ceases to bind Her Majesty after the periods and in the circumstances specified in the regulations.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 30
- 1993, c. 8, s. 15
- 2019, c. 16, s. 55
31 [Repealed, 2019, c. 16, s. 55]
Service of Documents
Marginal note:Time of service
32 A garnishee summons served on the Minister has effect only if it is served on the Minister in the first thirty days following the first day on which it could have been validly served on the Minister.
Marginal note:Place of service
33 Service of documents on the Minister in connection with garnishment proceedings permitted by this Part must be effected at the place specified in the regulations.
Marginal note:Method of service
34 In addition to any method of service permitted in accordance with provincial garnishment law, service of documents on the Minister under this Part may be effected by any method prescribed by the regulations.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 34
- 2019, c. 16, s. 56
35 [Repealed, 2019, c. 16, s. 56]
Administrative Procedures
Marginal note:Notice to ministers
36 Immediately after being served with the documents referred to in section 28, the Minister shall notify every minister who is responsible for garnishable moneys of the service of the documents and shall provide them with the information that may be necessary to assist them in determining whether any garnishable moneys are payable to the judgment debtor.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 36
- 1993, c. 8, s. 16
- 2019, c. 16, s. 57
Marginal note:Initial report by ministers
37 Immediately after being notified under section 36, each minister who is responsible for garnishable moneys shall report to the Minister on whether those moneys are payable or are foreseeably payable to the judgment debtor.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 37
- 2019, c. 16, s. 57
Marginal note:Demand under Income Tax Act
37.1 For the purposes of section 37, if the Minister of National Revenue knows or suspects that garnishable moneys would be payable to a judgment debtor were the debtor to file a return of income for a taxation year, that Minister may, in accordance with subsection 150(2) of the Income Tax Act, demand that the debtor file a return of income for that taxation year.
Marginal note:Obligation to monitor and report back
38 In addition to reporting under section 37, each minister responsible for garnishable moneys shall continue to monitor the payments of those moneys the entire time during which Her Majesty is bound in respect of payments thereof and report to the Minister whenever any payments to the judgment debtor become payable or foreseeably payable.
Marginal note:Additional information with every report
39 When reporting that garnishable moneys are payable or are foreseeably payable to the judgment debtor, each minister shall also inform the Minister of the amounts payable and the times when those moneys became, or will become, payable.
Marginal note:Right to search information banks
40 Subject to the regulations, the Minister and every minister responsible for garnishable moneys is entitled to have any of the information banks that may be searched under Part I searched for any information necessary to confirm the identity of any judgment debtor.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 40
- 2019, c. 16, s. 58
Response to Garnishee Summons
Marginal note:Response time
41 The Minister, on behalf of Her Majesty, shall respond to every garnishee summons within the time prescribed by the regulations.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 41
- 2019, c. 16, s. 59(F)
Marginal note:Methods of response
42 In addition to any method of responding to a garnishee summons permitted by provincial garnishment law, the Minister may respond to a garnishee summons by any method prescribed by the regulations.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 42
- 2019, c. 16, s. 60
Marginal note:Response by registered mail
43 Where the Minister responds to a garnishee summons by registered mail, the receipt issued in accordance with regulations relating to registered mail made under the Canada Post Corporation Act shall be received in evidence and is, unless the contrary is shown, proof that the Minister has responded to the garnishee summons.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 43
- 2019, c. 16, s. 61(F)
Discharge of Liability
Marginal note:Effect of payment into court
44 (1) A payment into court by the Minister is, to the extent of the payment, a good and sufficient discharge of Her Majesty’s liability under this Part and under the legislation governing the garnishable moneys.
Marginal note:Effect of payment to provincial enforcement service
(2) If provincial garnishment law permits a payment to a provincial enforcement service of the province, a payment to the provincial enforcement service by the Minister is, to the extent of the payment, a good and sufficient discharge of Her Majesty’s liability under this Part and under the legislation governing the garnishable moneys.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 44
- 2019, c. 16, s. 62
Notice to Judgment Debtor
Marginal note:Notice to judgment debtor
45 If a garnishee summons is served on the Minister under this Part, the Minister may notify the judgment debtor named in the garnishee summons of that service.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 45
- 1993, c. 8, s. 17
- 2019, c. 16, s. 63
46 to 48 [Repealed, 1993, c. 8, s. 17]
Recovery of Excess Payments
Marginal note:Payments to judgment debtor
49 If a judgment debtor is paid any garnishable moneys to which the judgment debtor is not entitled by reason of garnishment proceedings permitted under this Part, the amount that is paid is a debt due to Her Majesty by the judgment debtor and may be recovered as such in accordance with the Financial Administration Act or the legislation governing the particular garnishable moneys paid to the judgment debtor.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 49
- 2019, c. 16, s. 64(E)
Marginal note:Payments to party that instituted proceedings
50 Subject to section 51, if garnishable moneys are paid under this Part to or for the benefit of a party that instituted garnishment proceedings permitted under this Part in excess of the amount that should be paid to or for the benefit of that party, the excess is a debt due to Her Majesty by that party and may be recovered as such in accordance with the Financial Administration Act or by way of deduction from, or set-off or compensation against, any garnishable moneys payable to or for the benefit of that party under this Part.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 50
- 2019, c. 16, s. 65
Marginal note:Exception
51 Where it is determined that the reason for the payment of excess moneys referred to in section 50 is that the judgment debtor was not entitled to the garnishable moneys garnisheed under this Part, the amount of the excess is a debt due to Her Majesty by the judgment debtor and may be recovered as such in accordance with the Financial Administration Act or the legislation governing the garnishable moneys garnisheed under this Part.
General
Marginal note:Ranking of Her Majesty
52 When a judgment debtor is indebted to
(a) Her Majesty, or
(b) Her Majesty in right of a province on account of taxes payable to any province, and an agreement exists between Canada and the province under which Canada is authorized to collect the tax on behalf of the province,
Her Majesty ranks in priority over the party that instituted the garnishment proceedings permitted under this Part with respect to any garnishable moneys that are payable to the judgment debtor notwithstanding that a garnishee summons in respect of those moneys has been served on the Minister, and the amount of the indebtedness may be recovered or retained in any manner authorized by law.
- R.S., 1985, c. 4 (2nd Supp.), s. 52
- 2001, c. 4, s. 81
- Date modified: