Maine Foreign Judgment Enrollment
Maine Revised Statutes
TITLE 14: COURT PROCEDURE -- CIVIL
PART 7: PARTICULAR PROCEEDINGS
CHAPTER 740: UNIFORM ENFORCEMENT OF FOREIGN JUDGMENTS
ACT
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments
Act. Title 14, Part 7, Chap. 740, § 8001.
Definition
In this Act "foreign judgment" means any judgment, decree, or order
of a court of the United States or of any other court which is entitled
to full faith and credit in this State. Title 14, Part 7, Chap. 740,
§ 8002.
Filing and status of foreign judgments
A copy of any foreign judgment authenticated in accordance with
the Act of Congress or the statutes of this State may be filed in the office
of the clerk of any District Court or of any Superior Court of this
State. The clerk shall treat the foreign judgment in the same manner as
a judgment of the District Court or Superior Court of this State. A judgment
so filed has the same effect and is subject to the same procedures,
defenses and proceedings for reopening, vacating or staying as a
judgment of the District Court or the Superior Court of this State
and may be enforced or satisfied in like manner. Title 14, Part 7, Chap.
740, § 8003.
Notice of filing
1. Affidavit to be filed; contents. At the time of the
filing of the foreign judgment, the judgment creditor or his lawyer shall
make and file with the clerk an affidavit setting forth the name and last
known post office address of the judgment debtor and the judgment creditor.
2. Notification of judgment debtor by clerk. Promptly upon the filing
of the foreign judgment and the affidavit, the clerk shall mail notice
of the filing of the foreign judgment to the judgment debtor at the
address given and shall make a note of the mailing in the docket.
The notice shall include the name and post office address of the judgment
creditor and the judgment creditor's lawyer, if any, in this State.
In addition, the judgment creditor may mail a notice of the filing
of the judgment to the judgment debtor and may file proof of mailing
with the clerk. Lack of mailing notice of filing by the clerk shall not
effect the enforcement proceedings if proof of mailing by the
judgment creditor has been filed.
3. Thirty day waiting period. No execution or other process for
enforcement of a foreign judgment filed hereunder shall issue until
30 days after the date the judgment is filed. Title 14, Part 7, Chap.
740, § 8004.
Stay
1. Appeal or stay granted in foreign jurisdiction. If the
judgment debtor shows the District Court or the Superior Court that
an appeal from the foreign judgment is pending or will be taken,
or that a stay of execution has been granted, the court shall stay enforcement
of the foreign judgment until the appeal is concluded, the time for appeal
expires, or the stay of execution expires or is vacated, upon proof that
the judgment debtor has furnished the security for the satisfaction
of the judgment required by the State in which it was rendered.
2. Other grounds for stay. If the judgment debtor shows the District
Court or the Superior Court any ground upon which enforcement of
a judgment of any District Court or Superior Court of this State
would be stayed, the court shall stay enforcement of the foreign
judgment for an appropriate period, upon requiring the same security for
satisfaction of the judgment which is required in this State. Title 14,
Part 7, Chap. 740, § 8005.
Fees
Any person filing a foreign judgment shall pay to the clerk of
courts the fee then provided for the entry of an action. Fees for
docketing, transcription or other enforcement proceedings shall be as provided
for judgments of the District Court or Superior Court. Title 14,
Part 7, Chap. 740, § 8006.
Optional procedure
The right of a judgment creditor to bring an action to enforce
his judgment instead of proceeding under this Act remains unimpaired. Title
14, Part 7, Chap. 740, § 8007.
Uniformity of interpretation
This Act shall be so interpreted and construed as to effectuate
its general purpose to make uniform the law of those states which enact
it. Title 14, Part 7, Chap. 740, § 8008.