Rule 69.Execution; postjudgment discovery.

Last amended January 1, 2019 · Last verified July 1, 2026

In one sentenceRule 69 lets a party enforce a monetary judgment through a writ of execution and pursue postjudgment discovery to locate assets, subject to temporary stay periods and limits protecting a party during an appeal.

Full Text of Rule 69

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c)

(a) Generally. A monetary judgment is enforced by a writ of execution, unless the court orders otherwise. A party may execute on a judgment—and seek relief in proceedings supplementary to and in aid of judgment or execution—as provided in these rules, statutory remedies, and other applicable law.

(b) Special writ. If a judgment is for personal property and the court finds that the property has a special value to the prevailing party, the court may award the prevailing party a special writ for the seizure and delivery of the specific property, in addition to any other relief provided in these rules and other applicable law.

(1) Generally. Unless the court orders otherwise for good cause, no discovery may be served or taken during the temporary stay periods provided in Rule 62(a) or Rule 7(a)(2) of the Arizona Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure. If no further stay is ordered, at the expiration of any temporary stay period and in aid of the judgment or execution, the judgment creditor or a successor in interest whose interest appears of record may obtain discovery from any person—including the judgment debtor—as provided in these rules and other applicable law.

(2) After stay of judgment. If enforcement of, or execution on, a judgment is stayed under Rule 7 of the Arizona Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure, or by other rule or court order, the court may allow discovery as provided in these rules and other applicable law if:

(A) the amount of any supersedeas bond or other security posted does not cover the total amount of any monetary judgment, including costs, attorney’s fees, prejudgment interest, or punitive damages included in the judgment when entered; or

(B) the discovery is necessary to protect the judgment creditor’s interest in the judgment during the pendency of post-trial motions or an appeal.

(3) Limitations. The court may limit discovery under Rule 69(c)(2) to protect the party against whom the discovery is requested from undue burden or expense while the appeal is pending.

End

Amendment History

Promulgated by R-16-0010, effective January 1, 2017; amended by R-18-0017, effective January 1, 2019.

Plain-English Summary

A monetary judgment is ordinarily enforced through a writ of execution unless the court directs otherwise, and a party can pursue proceedings supplementary to execution as these rules, statutes, and other law allow. If a judgment covers personal property that has special value to the winning party, the court can award a special writ for the seizure and delivery of that specific property, on top of whatever other relief applies. To find assets to satisfy a judgment, a judgment creditor — or a successor whose interest is on record — can pursue discovery from any person, including the judgment debtor, once any temporary stay following judgment has expired and no further stay has been ordered.

If enforcement of the judgment is stayed under the appellate rules or another court order, discovery can still proceed if the security posted doesn't cover the judgment's full value, including costs, fees, prejudgment interest, or punitive damages, or if discovery is necessary to protect the creditor's interest while post-trial motions or an appeal are pending. Even then, the court can limit that discovery to protect the party being questioned from undue burden or expense while the appeal plays out.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a monetary judgment normally enforced?

Through a writ of execution, unless the court orders a different method.

Can I get discovery to find out what assets a judgment debtor has?

Yes, once any temporary stay after judgment has expired, a judgment creditor can obtain discovery from any person, including the debtor, to aid in collecting the judgment.

Can I still get discovery if enforcement of the judgment is stayed pending appeal?

Yes, in some cases — for example, if the posted security doesn't cover the full judgment, or if discovery is necessary to protect your interest while the appeal is pending, though the court can limit the scope to avoid undue burden.

Source & verification. The rule text and History are reproduced verbatim from the official Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure (Ariz. R. Civ. P. 69). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Arizona (Ariz. Const. art. 6, § 5). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 1, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: execution rulepostjudgment discovery rule