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NOTICE: This opinion is subject to motions for rehearing under Rule 22 as well as formal revision before publication in the New Hampshire Reports. Readers are requested to notify the Reporter, Supreme Court of New Hampshire, One Charles Doe Drive, Concord, New Hampshire 03301, of any editorial errors in order that corrections may be made before the opinion goes to press. Errors may be reported by E-mail at the following address: reporter@courts.state.nh.us. Opinions are available on the Internet by 9:00 a.m. on the morning of their release. The direct address of the court's home page is: http://www.courts.state.nh.us/supreme. THE SUPREME COURT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ___________________________ Hillsborough-southern judicial district No. 2005-815 ROBYN LANDRY v. DANIEL D. LANDRY Submitted: January 11, 2007 Opinion Issued: February 16, 2007 Law Office of Paul S. Moore, P.L.L.C., of Nashua (Sharon M. Ryan on the brief), for the plaintiff. Daniel D. Landry, by brief, pro se. GALWAY, J. The defendant, Daniel D. Landry, appeals an order of the Trial Court (Hicks, J.) ruling, in part, that the plaintiff, Robyn Landry, was entitled to an order of attachment and execution against personal property of the defendant in the possession of his sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Raymond Beauregard. We vacate and remand. The following facts were either found by the trial court or are not disputed on appeal. In July 2003, the parties were divorced and a permanent stipulation drafted by them was incorporated into their divorce decree. Paragraph 24(d) of the stipulation requires the defendant to provide the majority of an inheritance from his late father to the plaintiff. The defendant, however, did not turn over the funds. In October 2004, the plaintiff moved for

contempt based upon the defendant's failure to pay $9,159 from the inheritance. On November 17, 2004, the Trial Court (Hampsey, J.) found the defendant in contempt and ordered him to pay $5,000 within thirty days, and the remaining $4,159, along with $500 of the plaintiff's attorney's fees, by March 1, 2005. At some point the defendant paid the $5,000, but he did not pay the remainder. The defendant is currently serving an eight- to sixteen-year sentence at the New Hampshire State Prison, and will complete his minimum term in 2012. Prior to his incarceration, he transferred his 1996 Honda Civic, a utility trailer and his collection of automotive mechanic's tools to the Beauregards. In February 2005, the plaintiff filed a new action to collect the remaining money due her. She requested, and the trial court granted, an attachment on the items the defendant transferred to the Beauregards. In September 2005, a default judgment was entered against the defendant and the plaintiff sought a writ of execution. Relying upon RSA 511:2 (1997 & Supp. 2006), the defendant moved to exempt his mechanic's tools from attachment and execution up to a value of $13,000. In October 2005, the trial court ordered that the defendant's vehicle and trailer be appraised and sold. As for the tools, the trial court found that the defendant was entitled to exempt them from attachment and execution, up to $5,000 in value, pursuant to RSA 511:2, IX. The trial court did not address the availability of any other exemptions under RSA 511:2. The defendant sought reconsideration, arguing that the trial court overlooked the "catch-all" or "wild card" exemption in RSA 511:2, XVIII, and that under this provision he was entitled to claim an additional $8,000 exemption for his tools. The trial court denied reconsideration and this appeal followed. On appeal, the defendant contends that even though the trial court granted a $5,000 exemption for his tools under RSA 511:2, IX, he was entitled to an additional exemption of up to $8,000 under RSA 511:2, XVIII. Resolution of this issue involves the interpretation of a statute, an issue of law which we review de novo. State v. Kelley, 153 N.H. 481, 482 (2006). When construing a statute, we first examine its language, ascribing the plain and ordinary meaning to the words used by the legislature. Id. When a statute's language is plain and unambiguous, we need not look beyond it for further indication of legislative intent, and we will not consider what the legislature might have said or add language that the legislature did not see fit to include. Ryan James Realty v. Villages at Chester Condo. Assoc., 153 N.H. 194, 199 (2006). RSA 511:2 states, in relevant part: The following goods and property are exempted from attachment and execution:

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IX. Tools of the debtor's occupation to the value of $5,000. .... XVIII. The debtor's interest in any property, not to exceed $1,000, plus up to $7,000 of any unused amount of the exemptions provided under paragraphs III, VI, VIII, IX, XVI, and XVII of this section. We must first determine whether the defendant is entitled to apply the exemption in RSA 511:2, XVIII to his automotive tools. In so doing, we are mindful that as a remedial statute, RSA 511:2 is to be liberally construed in favor of the debtor. See Barney v. Leeds, 51 N.H. 253, 267, 276 (1871); 31 Am. Jur. 2d Exemptions

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