Hoisted on His Own Petard.

Last year, I tried a business litigation case and secured a six figure judgment for my client.

This year, we found the judgment debtor's bank account and attached about $20,000.

Recently, the judgment debtor filed a claim of exemption. California law provides a series of exemptions of certain assets, including 75% of "wages" that find their way into a debtor's bank account.

In this case, the defendant claimed that the bank account was exempt. Hence, he wanted the court to order that all but 75% of it be returned.

At the oral argument last week, I noted that defendant declared under penalty of perjury that this account had only $12. The court held the defendant to his earlier representation and exempted 75% of $12, which is $9.

Good thing the judgment debtor paid his attorney hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in fees to prepare and argue the claim of exemption.

He saved $9.