---
title: O.C.G.A. § 15-13-2. Liability of sheriffs to damage action or contempt.
collection: code
id: 15-13-2
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 15-13-2 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-13-2
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-13-2.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-13-2/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t15-ch12-24-(v13a)-2015-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=cbb30143_0#page=197
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-13.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-13-1.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-13-3.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: COURTS / OFFICERS OF COURT GENERALLY / LIABILITY FOR OFFICIAL ACTS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 15-13-2. Liability of sheriffs to damage action or contempt.

Any sheriff shall be liable to an action for damages or an attachment for contempt of court, at the option of the party, whenever it appears that the sheriff has injured the party by:

(1) Making a false return;

(2) Neglecting to arrest a defendant;

(3) Neglecting to levy on the property of the defendant;

(4) Neglecting to pay over to the plaintiff or his attorney any moneys collected by the sheriff by virtue of any fi. fa. or other legal process; or

(5) Neglecting to make a proper return of any writ, execution, or other process put into the hands of the sheriff.

## History

Laws 1799, Cobb’s 1851 Digest, p. 576; Code 1863, § 3853; Code 1868, § 3873; Code 1873, § 3949; Code 1882, § 3949; Civil Code 1895, § 4770; Civil Code 1910, § 5342; Code 1933, § 24-202.

## Law Reviews

For annual survey of real property law, see 57 Mercer L. Rev. 331 (2005); 58 Mercer L. Rev. 367 (2006).