Rule 22 Interpleader

If you owe money or property, but two or more people are claiming they're the one who deserves it, you can use this rule to protect yourself. Instead of risking multiple lawsuits or being forced to pay twice, you can bring all the people making claims into one court case and let a judge sort out who actually has the right to the money or property.

You can do this even if the people claiming the money don't agree with each other on why they're owed it, or if their claims come from totally different situations. You can also use this rule even if you think none of them, or only some of them, actually deserve anything. The point is to get everyone in one room so the dispute gets settled once, instead of dragging you through separate lawsuits.

This option isn't just for the person who started the lawsuit. If you're a defendant facing the same kind of problem, meaning multiple people might come after you for the same money or property, you can raise this issue yourself through a counterclaim or crossclaim.

Finally, this rule works alongside the normal rules about adding people to a lawsuit. It gives you an extra tool, but it doesn't take away any other options you already have for bringing in the right parties.