The City of New York Department of Investigation New York City Marshals Handbook of Regulations Michael R. Bloomberg Mayor Rose Gill Hearn Commissioner Effective Date: April 24, 2013 Foreword In 1938, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia delegated to the Commissioner of Investigation the responsibility to supervise New York City Marshals. Sixteen years later, in 1954, the Bureau of City Marshals was formally established at the Department of Investigation to carry out the Mayor's mandate. During Mayor Robert Wagner's third term, the State Court underwent reorganization, and as a result, the Municipal Court and City Court were replaced by the Civil Court of the City of New York. Pursuant to Article 16 of the New York City Civil Court Act, marshals became officers of the Civil Court of New York City. The authority to appoint city marshals remained with the mayor; however, the power to suspend and remove city marshals became vested in the Appellate Divisions for the First and Second Judicial Departments. In 1968, these courts held that “the Appellate Divisions in the First and Second Judicial Departments are jointly vested with the power to supervise the activities of New York City Marshals and that the routine exercise of that power was lawfully delegated by the Appellate Divisions, through the Mayor, to the Department of Investigation.”1 During the period of its supervision of marshals, the Department of Investigation has issued numerous directives from time to time prescribing the standards for marshals' official conduct, as well as the standards for the maintenance of official books and records. On November 12, 1975 and February 27, 1976, the Appellate Divisions for the First and Second Judicial Departments issued Joint Administrative Orders 453 and 456, concerning the supervision of city marshals. These orders formally set forth the Department of Investigation’s supervisory powers, which include the power to conduct investigations into marshals' activities, examine their books and records, promulgate directives concerning the official records to be kept by them and the procedures for performing their official duties, as well as the power to discipline them. Joint Administrative Order 453 specifically authorized the Department of Investigation, with the approval of both Appellate Divisions, to promulgate a “handbook of regulations” for city marshals. Thus, this handbook is a direct result of the authority vested in the Department of Investigation by the Appellate Divisions for the First and Second Departments. This handbook, which the Appellate Divisions approved on March 25, 2013, replaces the previous Handbook of Regulations, issued in 1997.2 The purpose of updating the Marshals Handbook is to set forth in one reference this Department's directives, issued through the years (as well as certain new directives), for official conduct and record keeping. All current directives have been codified within this handbook. As always, a marshal shall be accountable for the duties, functions, and responsibilities that are delegated to him or her pursuant to judicial order, Department of Investigation directive, and this Handbook of Regulations. 1 Fraiman v. Mancuso, 30 A.D. 2d 108, 109 (1st and 2nd Dep'ts 1968), aff'd, 24 N.Y.2d 891 (1969), cert. denied, 396 U.S. 885 (1969). 2 Joint Administrative Order 2013-2. The complete text appears in the Appendix. i TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I: INTEGRITY AND DISCIPLINE .................................................... 1 Section 1: INTEGRITY ................................................................................................................. 1 Section 1-1: Generally ......................................................................................................... 1 Section 1-2: Respect for the Public ..................................................................................... 1 Section 1-3: Receipt of Benefits Prohibited ....................................................................... 1 Section 1-4: Public Servant Defined; Benefit Defined ...................................................... 2 Section 1-5: Conferring Property or Benefit in Consideration for Work Prohibited ................................................................................................... 2 Section 1-6: Bribery, Gratuities, Rewarding Official Misconduct Prohibited .................. 3 Section 1-7: Gifts to City Officials, Officers and Employees Prohibited ......................... 3 Section 1-8: Report Corruption to Department of Investigation ....................................... 3 Section 1-9: Interference with Investigation Prohibited; Cooperation Required .............. 4 Section 1-10: Duty to Maintain Accurate Records ............................................................ 4 Section 1-11: Truthful Statements ...................................................................................... 6 Section 1-12: Persons Pretending to be Marshals .............................................................. 6 Section 1-13: Report Persons Pretending to be Marshals .................................................. 7 Section 1-14: Restriction on Employment of Former Marshal ......................................... 7 Section 1-15: Termination by Direction of Commissioner ................................................ 7 Section 1-16: Arrest of Marshal or Employee(s) ............................................................... 8 Section 1-17: Outside Employment Restricted .................................................................. 9 Section 2: DISCIPLINE ............................................................................................................... 10 Section 2-1: Generally ....................................................................................................... 10 Section 2-2: Department of Investigation Appearances ................................................. 10 CHAPTER II: LEVIES ............................................................................................ 12 Section 1: GENERALLY ............................................................................................................ 12 Section 2: PRIORITY OF EXECUTIONS ............................................................................... 14 Section 3: OPTIONAL LETTER TO DEBTOR ..................................................................... 15 Section 4: LEVY ........................................................................................................................... 16 Section 4-1: Property Not Capable of Delivery ............................................................... 16 Section 4-2: Property Capable of Delivery ...................................................................... 16 Section 5: SERVICE .................................................................................................................... 18 Section 6: EFFECT OF LEVY ................................................................................................... 20 ii Section 7: SPECIFIC PROCEDURES ...................................................................................... 22 Section 7-1: Particular Garnishees .................................................................................... 22 Section 7-2: Dispossessed Tenants ................................................................................... 22 Section 7-3: Death of Judgment Debtor ........................................................................... 23 Section 7-4: Protective Orders .......................................................................................... 23 Section 7-5: Levy on Stock Certificates ........................................................................... 24 Section 7-6: Exempt Property ........................................................................................... 24 Section 7-7: Notice to Debtors .......................................................................................... 25 Section 7-8: Execution against a Marshal ........................................................................ 26 Section 7-9: Levy on Partnerships .................................................................................... 26 Section 8: RETURN OF EXECUTION .................................................................................... 27 Section 9: SMALL CLAIMS ...................................................................................................... 28 Section 9-1: Executions .................................................................................................... 28 Section 9-2: Reporting ...................................................................................................... 28 Section 10: LEVY ON MOTOR VEHICLES .......................................................................... 30 Section 10-1: Generally .................................................................................................... 30 Section 10-2: Parking Violations Operations (PVO) Standard Operating Procedures ................................................................................................ 31 Section 10-3: PVO Fees ................................................................................................... 32 Section 10-4: PVO Fee Waivers ...................................................................................... 32 Section 10-5: Out-of-State Notice .................................................................................... 33 Section