West Virginia Code
Article 7. Attachment
§38-7-1. Filing of Affidavit; Prejudgment Hearing; Seizure of Property

In any civil action for the recovery of any claim or debt arising out of contract, or to recover damages for any wrong, the plaintiff, after service of the summons upon the defendant, or at any time thereafter and before judgment may have an order of attachment against the property of the defendant, on filing with the clerk of the court in which such action, proceeding or suit is about to be or is brought, his own affidavit or that of some credible person, stating the nature of the plaintiff's claim and the amount, at the least, which the affiant believes the plaintiff is justly entitled to recover in the action, proceeding or suit, and also that the affiant believes that some one or more of the grounds mentioned in the next following section of this article exist for such attachment: Provided, That in any action where the plaintiff shall give bond for the purpose of having the officer take possession of the personal property levied upon, as provided in section eight of this article, such officer may not take possession of the personal property attached under section eight of this article unless and until a prejudgment hearing shall have been held, for which proper notice shall be given the defendant and which shall be held in not less than five days nor more than ten days after the filing of the affidavit; which hearing shall be held to ascertain specific facts as to the nature of the obligation under which the plaintiff claims a right to possession, and to establish facts justifying the seizure, under one or more of the grounds set forth in section two of this article.

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