2A:26-2. Issuance of attachments; grounds

2A:26-2. An attachment may issue out of the Superior Court upon the application of any resident or nonresident plaintiff against the property, real and personal, of any defendant in any of the following instances:

a. Where the facts would entitle plaintiff to an order of arrest before judgment in a civil action; and in such cases the attachment may issue against the property of a female, or of a corporation in the same manner as though the defendant would be liable to arrest in a civil action, except that, in actions founded upon a tort, an attachment shall not issue against a corporation upon which a summons can be served in this State; or

b. Where the defendant absconds or is a nonresident of this State, and a summons cannot be served on him in this State; but an attachment shall not issue hereunder against the rolling stock of a common carrier of another state or against the goods of a nonresident in transit in the custody of a common carrier of this or another state; or

c. Where the cause of action existed against a decedent, which survives against his heirs, devisees, executors, administrators or trustees, and there is property in this State which by law is subject to plaintiff's claim; but no action of attachment may be brought hereunder against the heirs unless they, or some of them, nor against the devisees unless they, or some of them, nor against the executors unless they, or some of them, nor against the administrators unless they, or some of them, nor against the trustees unless they, or some of them, are unknown or nonresident and cannot be served with a summons in this State; or

d. Where plaintiff has a claim of an equitable nature as to which a money judgment is demanded against the defendant, and the defendant absconds or is a nonresident and a summons cannot be served upon him in this State; or

e. Where the defendant is a corporation created by the laws of another state but authorized to do business in this State and such other state authorizes attachments against New Jersey corporations authorized to do business in that state.

For the purposes of this section a summons can be served upon a person in this State where service can duly be made upon someone on his behalf in the State, but not where service may be made only by publication in the State.

L.1951 (1st SS), c.344; amended 1991,c.91,s.82.