[1581/10/42]¹

Anent deforcementis, breking of arreistmentis and alienationis maid in defraud of creditouris

²Forsamekle as it is havelie complenit to oure soverane lord be diverse his subjectis that quhen thai have, upoun thair lang travell and expensis, recoverit thair sentence, they ar deforcit in executioun thairof, like as quhen arreistmentis ar maid to mak the guidis furthcumand eftir the recoverie of the debt, the samin ar contempnandlie brokin; and farder, the executioun of the sentences and decreittis ar oftymes impedit be fraudfull alienationis of the dettouris landis and guidis maid be thame throw cullorit meanis of thair freindis and convictit personis, and the pleyis and actionis upoun deforcementis, breking of arreistmentis and reductioun of fraudfull alienationis hes bene swa tedious, sumpteus and langsum that verie few of thame ar brocht to ane guid end, quhairby oure soverane lordis authorite is contempnit and his subjectis ar brocht to greit inconvenient. For remeid quhairof, it is statute and ordanit that the lordis of counsell and sessioun proceid summarlie and diligentlie in all actionis of deforcementis and breking of arreistmentis to be intentit befoir thame at the instance of quhatsumever personis, and specialie that the saidis actionis, quhen thai ar callit, sall with all convenient speid, without intermissioun, be put to ane point efter the calling thairof, and that the personis convictit of deforcementis or breking of arreistment salbe punesit be the escheit of thair guidis moveabill and punischment of thair personis at oure said soverane lordis will, according to the lawes observit of befoir, with this additioun: that the pairte, recoverair of the sentence, salbe first pait of his debt and of his expensis, to be heichlie taxit be the saidis lordis, and of ane certane sowme of money to be modefeit at the saidis lordis discretioun to the pairty for the dampnage and interes sustenit be thame; anent the quhilk, the pairty interest sall have reddie executioun upoun the first and reddiest guidis and geir of the persoun convictit, notwithstanding the richt of the escheit pertenyng to oure said soverane lord, quha, for weill of his subjectis, will and grantis that the creditouris be preferrit to him in this cais. And further, with advise of the saidis thre estatis, it is statute and ordanit be his hines that all giftis of escheit quhilkis salbe gevin heirefter to quhatsumever persoun or personis of geir, guidis and utheris cumand in his hines handis for deforcement or breking of arreistment, sall contene expres exceptioun and reservatioun to the creditoure of the sowmes recoverit for his principale debt, expensis and sowme to be modifeit as said is; and gif ony gift of escheit proceding upoun this caus foirsaid be gevin without the said reservatioun and exceptioun, the same salbe null and of nane availl. And siclike, for the greitter expeditioun of reductioun of alienationis and dispositionis of landis and guidis maid in defraud of the creditoure, it is statute and ordanit that the same be maist summarlie decidit and privilegeit be summondis upoun xxj dayis warning, without dyet, tabill or continuatioun of uthir summondis, and that the pairty, ressaver of the saidis fraudfull alienationis and dispositionis, sall not be hard to defend thairin, except that they (befoir they be admittit to produce the saidis alienationis and dispositionis and to answer to the summondis) consigne in the handis of the clerk of register and his deputis, for quhome he salbe haldin to answer, sic sowmes of money as salbe modefeit be the discretioun of the saidis lordis, to be deliverit to the pairtie persewar incais the saidis alienationis and dispositionis salbe declarit fraudfull.