Short answer. By filing a counter-bond quickly. Under Rule 60, Section 5, at any time before the property is delivered to the applicant you may require its return by filing with the court a bond in double the value stated in the applicant's affidavit, and serving a copy of that bond on the applicant.
What the law says
he may, at any time before the delivery of the property to the applicant, require the return thereof, by filing with the court where the action is pending a bond executed to the applicant, in double the value of the property as stated in the applicant's affidavit
Rule 60, Section 5 — Return of property. Read the full provision →
What the law says
If the adverse party objects to the sufficiency of the applicant's bond, or of the surety or sureties thereon, he cannot immediately require the return of the property
Rule 60, Section 5 — Return of property. Read the full provision →
The counter-bond route
Seizure under a replevin order is not the end of the matter. Rule 60, Section 5 gives the adverse party — the person the property was taken from — a mechanism to get it back while the case proceeds: he may, at any time before the delivery of the property to the applicant, require the return thereof, by filing with the court where the action is pending a bond executed to the applicant, in double the value of the property as stated in the applicant's affidavit, and by serving a copy of that bond on the applicant. Do that in time and the property returns to you pending judgment, with the bond standing as the applicant's security.
The deadline is the delivery itself
The window is measured not in days but in events: the counter-bond must be filed before the delivery of the property to the applicant. Once the sheriff has turned the property over, this remedy is gone and possession stays with the applicant until the case is decided. After a seizure, therefore, the clock is effectively the sheriff's timetable for delivery — which makes speed the whole game. A vehicle owner who spends two weeks deciding whether to fight will usually find there is nothing left to file the bond against.
What the bond covers, and the objection trade-off
The double-value bond is conditioned on two things: the delivery thereof to the applicant, if such delivery be adjudged, and payment of such sum as may be recovered against you. It is a promise that if you lose, the applicant gets the property or its value plus what the judgment awards. The section also opens with a trade-off worth understanding: If the adverse party objects to the sufficiency of the applicant's bond, or of the surety or sureties thereon, he cannot immediately require the return of the property. You choose a lane — attack the applicant's bond as insufficient, or post your own counter-bond for immediate return. The rule does not let you ride both at once.
Moving fast, in practical terms
Three numbers and documents drive this remedy. First, the value the applicant stated in his affidavit, because your bond is double that figure — obtain a copy of the affidavit at once. Second, the bond itself, which means engaging a surety acceptable to the court immediately, not after reflection. Third, proof of service of the bond on the applicant, which the section expressly requires. If the stated value looks inflated, tell your lawyer — it doubles into your bond — but weigh the cost of contesting it against the risk that delivery happens while you argue. In replevin, possession follows diligence.