Collecting a judgment
How to levy a bank account in California
A bank levy is the fastest way to collect from someone who will not pay voluntarily, and the easiest to waste. It grabs the balance at the instant the sheriff serves the bank, so the date you pick matters more than anything else in the process.
How it works
You get a writ of execution (EJ-130) for the county where the branch sits, then give the sheriff written instructions naming the bank, the branch, and the account holder as the judgment names them.
The sheriff serves the bank, the bank freezes what is there, and after the statutory hold the funds are sent to the sheriff and then to you, minus the sheriff's fee.
Why timing decides everything
Nothing deposited after service is caught. A levy served the day before payday collects whatever is left from the last check; served the day after, it can collect the whole paycheck.
If the levy comes back empty, you can levy again. Each attempt costs another sheriff fee, which is recoverable as a cost of enforcement under Code Civ. Proc. ยง 685.070.
What is exempt
Social Security, SSI, veterans' benefits, unemployment, and public assistance stay exempt after deposit when the money can be traced. Banks automatically protect a set amount of directly deposited federal benefits.
The debtor may file a claim of exemption for wages already deposited and for money needed for necessities. Filing that claim pauses release of the funds until the court rules.
If you do not know where they bank
A judgment debtor examination (SC-134 or EJ-125) forces the debtor into court to answer questions about accounts, employment, and property, under oath. Checks they have written you, and the account on any prior payment, are also fair evidence.
We build the levy packet
The writ, the levying officer instructions, the memorandum of costs, and the acknowledgment of partial satisfaction, with the balance and daily interest computed for you, for $149.
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- How to answer an eviction in CaliforniaTen court days, one form, and the defenses most tenants never know they have.
- Small claims or civil courtThe trade you are making: speed and simplicity against how much a judge is allowed to award you.
file my case is a self-help document preparation service, not a law firm, and this page is not legal advice. Deadlines and fees change; confirm yours before you file.