Have you obtained a judgment for recovery of money? Lucky you! Is that judgment unsecured? Ouch.
Well, at least you have some protection should your opponent decide to appeal: Under the Maryland Rules (and unless the parties agree otherwise), the appellant has to file a supersedeas bond covering the whole amount of the judgment that remains unsatisfied, plus interest. Of course, the court can always reduce the bond amount, but it can still be a pretty big deterrent to weak or frivolous appeals that just delay payment and increase the chance that some other creditor will snatch up the debtor’s funds in the meantime. As proposed in the 188th Report of the Maryland Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure, however, the bond isn’t without limits.
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