§ 16-65-501 - Scire facias.
16-65-501. Scire facias.
(a) The plaintiff or his or her legal representatives may, at any time before the expiration of the lien on any judgment, sue out a scire facias to revive the judgment.
(b) The scire facias shall be served on the defendant or his or her legal representatives, terre-tenants, or other person occupying the land, and may be directed to and served in any county in this state.
(c) (1) If the defendant cannot be found, the court shall make an order briefly setting forth the nature of the case and requiring all persons interested to appear on a date set by the court and show cause why the judgment or decree should not be revived and lien continued.
(2) A copy of the order shall be put up for four (4) weeks at the courthouse door of the county in which the judgment or decree may have been rendered.
(d) If upon service or publication of the scire facias, as required in subsection (c) of this section, the defendant or any other person interested does not appear and show cause why such judgment or decree shall not be revived, the judgment shall be revived and the lien continued for another period of ten (10) years and so on from time to time as often as may be necessary.
(e) If a scire facias is sued out before the termination of the lien of any judgment or decree, the lien of the judgment revived shall have relation to the day on which the scire facias issued. However, if the lien of any judgment or decree has expired before suing out the scire facias, the judgment of revival shall be only a lien from the time of the rendition of the judgment.
(f) No scire facias to revive a judgment shall be issued except within ten (10) years from the date of the rendition of the judgment, or if the judgment shall have been previously revived, then within ten (10) years from the order of revivor.