Rhode Island State Bankruptcy Exemptions
§ 9-26-4. Property exempt from attachment
The following goods and property shall be exempt from attachment on any warrant
of distress or on any other writ, original, mesne, or judicial:
(1) The necessary wearing apparel of a debtor or of the debtor's family, if he
or she has a family.
(2) The working tools of a debtor necessary in the debtor's usual occupation,
not exceeding in value the sum of one thousand two hundred dollars ($ 1,200),
and the professional library of any professional person in actual practice.
(3) The household furniture, clothing, and family stores of a housekeeper in
the whole, including beds and bedding, not exceeding in value the sum of eight
thousand six hundred dollars ($ 8,600).
(4) The bibles, school books, and other books in use in the family, not
exceeding in value the sum of three hundred dollars ($ 300).
(5) The debtor's interest in one lot or right of burial, as the case may be, in
any cemetery.
(6) Wages due or accruing to any sailor.
(7) Debts secured by bills of exchange or negotiable promissory notes.
(8) (i) The entire salary or wages of any debtor due or payable from any
charitable corporation, or from any person or corporation engaged in the
disbursement or administration of any public charitable fund or money, whenever
the salaries or wages are to be paid or supplied, directly or indirectly, from
any fund or money appropriated or contributed for the relief of the poor or in
aid of unemployment, and the debtor is the object of the relief or aid.
(ii) The entire wages or salary of any debtor due or payable from any employer,
where the debtor has been the object of relief from any state, federal, or
municipal corporation or agency for a period of one year from and after the
time when the debtor ceases to be the object of such relief.
(iii) The salary or wages due or payable to any other debtor, not exceeding the
sum of fifty dollars ($ 50.00).
(9) The salary and wages of the wife and the minor children of any debtor.
(10) Such other property, real, personal, or mixed, in possession or actions as
is or shall be exempted from attachment and execution, either permanently or
temporarily, by general or special acts, charters of incorporation, or by the
policy of the law.
(11) An individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity as
defined in sections 408 and 408A of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. §§ 408
and 408A, and the payments or distributions from such an account or annuity,
except that this exemption does not apply to any of the following:
(i) An order of a court pursuant to a judgment of divorce or separate
maintenance.
(ii) An order of a court concerning child support.
(iii) Contributions to an individual retirement account or premiums on an
individual retirement annuity, including the earnings or benefits from those
contributions or premiums, that constitute an excess contribution within the
meaning of Section 4973 of the Internal Revenue Code [26 U.S.C. § 4973].
(12) The right or interest of a person in an annuity, pension, profit sharing,
or other retirement plan protected by the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974, Public Law 93-406, 29 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq. This exemption shall
also apply to the operation of the Federal Bankruptcy Code, as permitted by
Section 522(d)(10)(E) of Title 11 of the United States Code, 11 U.S.C. §
522(d)(10)(E). This exemption shall not apply to the right or interest of a
person in an annuity, pension, profit sharing, or other retirement plan to the
extent that that right or interest is subject to any of the following:
(i) An order of the court pursuant to a judgment of divorce or separated
maintenance.
(ii) An order of a court concerning child support.
This exemption shall not apply to contributions to and the earnings of any of
the retirement plans enumerated in this subdivision that are not qualified
retirement plans as defined by Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code, 26
U.S.C. § 401.
(13) Any and all motor vehicles owned by the debtor not to exceed an aggregate
total of ten thousand dollars ($ 10,000).
(14) Any and all jewelry owned by the debtor not to exceed an aggregate total
of one thousand dollars ($ 1,000).
(15) An account balance, right, or interest of a person in a "prepaid tuition
program" or a "tuition savings program" as defined in § 16-57-3(10) and (16),
respectively. This exemption shall not apply to a balance, right, or interest
to the extent that the balance, right, or interest is subject to any of the
following:
(i) An order of a court pursuant to a judgment of divorce or separate
maintenance;
(ii) An order of a court concerning child support.
§ 9-26-4.1. Homestead estate exemption
(a) In addition to the property exempt from attachment as set forth in §
9-26-4, an estate of homestead to the extent of two hundred thousand dollars ($
200,000) in the land and buildings may be acquired pursuant to this section by
an owner or owners of a home or one or all who rightfully possess the premise
by lease or otherwise, and who occupy or intend to occupy the home as a
principal residence. The estate of homestead provided pursuant to this section
shall be automatic by operation of law, and without any requirement or
necessity for the filing of a declaration, a statement in a deed, or any other
documentation. The estate shall be exempt from the laws of attachment, levy on
execution and sale for payment of debts or legacies except in the following
cases:
(1) Sale for taxes, sewer liens, water liens, lighting district assessments and
fire district assessments;
(2) For a debt contracted prior to the acquisition of the estate of homestead;
(3) For a debt contracted for the purchase of the home;
(4) Upon an order issued by the family court to enforce its judgment that a
spouse pay a certain amount weekly or otherwise for the support of a spouse or
minor children;
(5) Where a building or buildings are situated on land not owned by the owner
of a homestead estate are attached, levied upon or sold for the ground rent of
the lot upon which the building or buildings are situated;
(6) for a debt due to, or a lien in favor of, the department of human services
and/or the state of Rhode Island for reimbursement of medical assistance, as
provided for in § 40-8-15;
(7) For a debt heretofore or hereafter owing to a federally insured deposit
taking institution or a person regulated or licensed under title 19.
(b) For the purposes of this section, "owner of a home" includes a sole owner,
joint tenant, tenant by the entirety or tenant in common; provided, that only
one owner may acquire an estate of homestead in the home for the benefit of his
or her family; and provided further, that an estate of homestead may be
acquired on only one principal residence for the benefit of a family. For the
purposes of this section, "family" includes either a parent and child or
children, a husband and wife and their children, if any, or a sole owner. The
provisions of this section shall not apply to any debt owing to a financial
institution, or private mortgages, or a mechanics' lien on the property
comprising the estate as provided for under chapter 28 of title 34.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, it shall not be necessary to
record a declaration of homestead in order to take advantage of the homestead
estate exemption.
§ 30-7-9. Exemption of pay and allowances from process
The pay and allowances due or to become due to any member of the militia for
active service, and any compensation that may be awarded for injuries or death
sustained therein shall be exempt from attachment, execution, or other legal
process.
§ 28-44-58. Exemption of benefits from assignment or process
Benefits which are due or may become due under chapters 42 -- 44 of this title
shall not be assigned, pledged, or encumbered before payment; and when awarded,
adjudged, or paid, so long as they are not mingled with other funds of the
recipient, shall be exempt from all claims of creditors, and from levy,
execution, and attachment or other remedy now or subsequently provided for
recovery or collection of debt, which exemption may not be waived.
§ 28-33-27. Immunity of claims from assignment or liability for debt
(a) No claims or payments due for compensation under chapters 29 -- 38 of this
title or under any alternative scheme permitted by §§ 28-29-22 -- 28-29-24
shall be assignable, or subject to attachment, or liable in any way for any
debts, except as set forth in subsection (b) of this section.
(b) A lien in favor of the department of labor and training and or the
department of human services shall attach by operation of law to any benefits
due and payable under chapters 29 -- 38 of this title, or under any alternative
scheme by §§ 28-29-22 -- 28-29-24, to the extent that those payments have been
made by the department of labor and training or the department of human
services to or on behalf of an injured employee or his or her dependents, but
only to the extent that the employee would be entitled to receive benefits
under the provision of these chapters.
§ 40-6-14. Assistance not assignable -- Exemption from process
Public assistance provided under this chapter shall not be transferable or
assignable, at law or in equity, and none of the money paid or payable under
this chapter shall be subject to execution, levy, attachment, garnishment, or
other legal process, or to the operation of any bankruptcy or insolvency law.
§ 27-4-11. Rights of beneficiaries to proceeds of policy as against creditors --
Premiums paid in fraud of creditors
If a policy of insurance is effected by any person on that person's own life or
on another life in favor of a person other than himself or herself, or, except
in cases of transfer with intent to defraud creditors, if a policy of life
insurance is assigned or in any way made payable to any person, the lawful
beneficiary or assignee of the policy, other than the insured or the person
effecting that insurance or the executors or administrators of that insured or
the person effecting that insurance, shall be entitled to its proceeds and
avails against the creditors and representatives of the insured and of the
person effecting the insurance, whether or not the right to change the
beneficiary is reserved or permitted, and whether or not the policy is made
payable to the person whose life is insured if the beneficiary or assignee
shall predecease that person; provided, that, subject to the statute of
limitations, the amount of any premiums for that insurance paid with intent to
defraud creditors, with interest on it, shall inure to their benefit from the
proceeds of the policy. The company issuing the policy shall be discharged of
all liability on the policy by payment of its proceeds in accordance with its
terms, unless before that payment the company shall have written notice, by or
in behalf of a creditor, of a claim to recover for a transfer made or premiums
paid with intent to defraud creditors, with a specification of the amount
claimed.
§ 7-12-36. Nature of a partner's right in specific partnership property
(a) A partner is co-owner with his or her partners of specific partnership
property holding as a tenant in partnership.
(b) The incidents of this tenancy are such that:
(1) A partner, subject to the provisions of §§ 7-12-12 -- 7-12-55 and to any
agreement between the partners, has an equal right with his or her partners to
possess specific partnership property for partnership purposes; but he or she
has no right to possess the property for any other purpose without the consent
of his or her partners.
(2) A partner's right in specific partnership property is not assignable except
in connection with the assignment of rights of all the partners in the same
property.
(3) A partner's right in specific partnership property is not subject to
attachment or execution, except on a claim against the partnership. When
partnership property is attached for a partnership debt the partners, or any of
them, or the representatives of a deceased partner, cannot claim any right
under the exemption laws.
(4) On the death of a partner his or her right in specific partnership property
vests in the surviving partner or partners, except where the deceased was the
last surviving partner, when his or her right in the property vests in his or
her legal representative. The surviving partner or partners, or the legal
representative of the last surviving partner, has no right to possess the
partnership property for any but a partnership purpose.
(5) A partner's right in specific partnership property is not subject to dower,
curtesy, or allowances to widows, heirs, or next of kin.
§ 28-41-32. Exemption of benefits from assignment or process
Benefits which are due or may become due under chapters 39 -- 41 of this title
shall not be assigned, pledged, or encumbered before payment. When awarded,
adjudged, or paid, so long as they are not mingled with other funds of the
recipient, the benefits shall be exempt from all claims of creditors, and from
levy, execution, and attachment or other remedy now or subsequently provided
for recovery or collection of debt, which exemption may not be waived.
§ 27-4-12. Provision for exemption from encumbrance, transfer, or claims of
creditors
Any policy of life or endowment insurance or any annuity contract may provide
that the proceeds of or payments under it shall not be subject to transfer,
anticipation, or commutation or encumbrance by any beneficiary other than the
insured or the purchaser of the annuity, and shall not be subject to the claims
of a creditor of any beneficiary or any legal process against the beneficiary.
§ 36-10-34. Exemption of benefits and contributions from attachment
Any and all retirement benefits and contributions in the state employees' and
municipal employees' retirement systems shall be exempt from lien, attachment,
or garnishment and shall not be transferable or assignable; provided, however,
that any governmental agency which may have a claim on money due from one of
its employees related to his or her employment in the agency shall have the
right to the payment at the time any refund of contributions is made to the
member.
§ 27-18-24. Immunity of benefits from process
The proceeds, avails, and benefits to be paid by virtue of any policy of
accident and sickness insurance shall not be liable to attachment, garnishment,
or other process, or be seized, taken, appropriated, or applied by any legal or
equitable process or operation of law to pay any debt or liability of the
owner, insured, beneficiary, or any person who may have any right under the
policy; provided, that, subject to any statute of limitations, the amount of
any premiums for the insurance paid with the intent to defraud creditors, with
interest on that amount, shall inure to their benefit from the proceeds of the
policy, but the company issuing the policy shall be discharged of all liability
on it by payment of its proceeds in accordance with its terms unless, before
the payment, the company shall have written notice by or on behalf of a
creditor of a claim to recover for premiums paid with intent to defraud
creditors with specifications of the amounts claimed.
§ 9-26-5. Exemption of police and firefighters' pensions -- Assignments invalid
No interest of any person in any pension fund or in any pension derivable
therefrom, for the benefit of police officers or firefighters, now or hereafter
created or held by authority of law by any city or town, or by any public
officer or officers or board of officers therein, to which fund the city or
town contributes in any way, shall be subject to trustee process or liable to
attachment on any writ, original, mesne, or judicial, or be taken on execution
or any process, legal or equitable; and no assignment of any such interest
shall be valid.
§ 7-8-25. Exemption of holdings from attachment
The holdings of any member of an association, to the extent of the minimum
amount necessary for membership, but not to exceed fifty dollars ($ 50.00), is
exempt from attachment, execution, or garnishment for the debts of the owner.
Note: Exemptions may have changed since our last update.
» Back to Bankruptcy Laws In Your State