WHAT IS A WARRANT IN DEBT?
WHAT IS A WARRANT IN DEBT?
Simply put, a warrant in debt is a civil claim for money that is filed by the Plaintiff-creditor against the named defendant.
§ 16.1-79. Actions brought on warrant.
A civil action in a general district court may be brought by warrant directed to the sheriff or to any other person authorized to serve process in such county or city, requiring the person against whom the claim is asserted to appear before the court on a certain day, not exceeding sixty days from the date of service thereof, to answer the complaint of the plaintiff set out in the warrant. After the warrant has been issued and delivered for service it shall not be altered, nor any blank filled, except by order of the court.
Warrants in Debt are filed in General District Court, where the maximum jurisdictional limit is $25,000. If you have received a Warrant in Debt, then that means that someone has sued you for an alleged civil claim for money or other relief.
WHAT TO DO AFTER BEING SERVED WITH A WARRANT IN DEBT?
- In the infographic above, you will see a date in the upper right hand corner of the document – that date is called the RETURN DATE;
- You must either appear in Court on the return date pro se (that is, without legal representation), or have an attorney represent you;
- Do NOT ignore appearing at the return date, since that could result in a judgment for default against you for the amount claimed in the Warrant in Debt.
If you have been served with a warrant in debt, please contact Fox & Moghul for a consultation at 703-652-5506. Our experienced attorneys can help you navigate this situation.
