Duties generally

(1) Upon receiving a writ of garnishment, the garnishee shall determine whether a garnishee response is required under ORS 18.680 and 18.682. The garnishee has no duty to determine whether the garnishor, sheriff or other person has complied with the requirements of ORS 18.600 to 18.850, or to otherwise determine whether the writ of garnishment is valid. If a garnishee response is required, the garnishee must make a diligent effort to determine whether the garnishee is the employer of the debtor and whether the garnishee has possession, control or custody of any garnishable property of the debtor as described in ORS 18.615. If the garnishee has possession, control or custody of garnishable property, the garnishee must hold the property, or as much of the property as is necessary to satisfy the garnishment, as required by ORS 18.600 to 18.850, and thereafter make delivery of the property in the manner required by ORS 18.600 to 18.850. (2) The duty of a garnishee to hold and deliver property is not affected by joint ownership of the property. If a garnishee holds property that is owned, or appears to be owned, by the debtor and one or more other persons, the garnishee must still hold and deliver all of the property, or as much of the property as is necessary to satisfy the garnishment. (3) If a single writ is issued for two or more joint debtors under ORS 18.607 (5) and the garnishable property in the garnishee’s possession, control or custody exceeds the amount necessary to satisfy the garnishment, the garnishee must hold and deliver as much of the property as is necessary to satisfy the garnishment but may select, in the sole discretion of the garnishee, the property to hold and deliver without regard to which of the joint debtors owns the property.