§ 680.135.Affidavit of Identity

Judgment debtors do not always use one consistent name. Someone might be sued and hold a judgment against them as "Robert J. Smith" but sign leases, titles, or bank accounts as "Bob Smith" or "R.J. Smith." The affidavit of identity is the tool that bridges that gap: a sworn statement, filed with the clerk when the creditor applies for a writ of execution or an abstract of judgment, that lays out the case name and number, the debtor's name as it appears in the judgment, any additional name the debtor goes by, and the facts supporting that connection.

The point is practical rather than technical. Levying officers, title companies, and county recorders often need to match a judgment against real-world records -- vehicle titles, real property records, bank accounts -- and those records may reflect a name variant the judgment itself does not use. This affidavit gives the creditor a documented, sworn basis for that match.

The section also draws a firm boundary. It cannot be used to reach separate legal entities the debtor merely has a stake in -- a corporation, partnership, or other entity in which the judgment debtor is a partner, shareholder, or member, but which is not itself named in the judgment. In other words, the affidavit fixes name variants for the same person; it is not a shortcut for reaching a business entity the debtor happens to own.