Short answer. Yes, once the writ has been issued. Section 39 of Rule 39 lets a person indebted to the judgment obligor pay the sheriff holding the writ the amount owed, up to what satisfies the judgment, and the sheriff's receipt is a sufficient discharge for that amount — protecting you from having to pay twice.

What the law says

a person indebted to the judgment obligor may pay to the sheriff holding the writ of execution the amount of his debt or so much thereof as may be necessary to satisfy the judgment

Rule 39, Section 39 — Obligor may pay execution against obligee. Read the full provision →

Why this option exists at all

When a court has issued a writ of execution against a losing party's property, that party's own debtors — people who independently owe that party money — are in an awkward position: the property being executed on can include debts owed to the judgment obligor, yet paying the judgment obligor directly, as the debtor normally would, does nothing to help satisfy the judgment the sheriff is trying to enforce. Section 39 gives a debtor in that position a direct, safe alternative.

How the payment actually works

Once the writ of execution against property has been issued, a debtor of the judgment obligor may pay to the sheriff holding the writ of execution the amount of his debt or so much thereof as may be necessary to satisfy the judgment, following the manner prescribed elsewhere in the same Rule. In other words, the debt is redirected toward paying down the judgment amount rather than going to the judgment obligor, and the debtor does not need the obligor's separate consent to pay it that way.

Why the sheriff's receipt matters so much

The section closes with the practical protection that makes this workable: the sheriff's receipt shall be a sufficient discharge for the amount so paid or directed to be credited by the judgment obligee on the execution. That receipt is what protects the debtor from later being told the debt is still owed, or from the judgment obligor demanding payment a second time — the sheriff's receipt stands in for payment made to the obligor personally.

What a debtor in this position should keep

Anyone paying under this section should treat the sheriff's receipt with the same seriousness as a regular receipt for paying a debt directly, since it is what the debtor would rely on if the underlying debt or the execution were ever disputed later. Confirming that the writ is genuinely in effect, and that the sheriff collecting the payment is actually the one holding it, is worth doing before handing over funds under this provision.

Related provisions

Note. Statute text quoted on this page is reproduced from the official enactment and is linked to the full provision. The explanation around it is general legal information from Vivas & Nobles Law Office, not legal advice. Whether it applies to your situation depends on facts only a lawyer reviewing them can assess.