"Person" includes a natural person, a corporation, a partnership or other unincorporated association, a general partner of a partnership, a limited liability company, and a public entity.
§ 680.280.Person
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 1 · Chapter 1. Short Title and Definitions · Last amended 1995 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 680.280 defines person to include a natural person, a corporation, a partnership or other unincorporated association, a general partner of a partnership, a limited liability company, and a public entity, fixing the full range of parties who can hold judgment creditor or judgment debtor status.
Full Text of § 680.280
Plain-English Summary
Judgments run against and in favor of all kinds of parties, not just individuals, and this section makes sure the Enforcement of Judgments Law reaches every one of them. "Person" here sweeps in natural persons, corporations, partnerships and other unincorporated associations, general partners individually, limited liability companies, and public entities.
Including public entities in this list matters because judgments against government bodies raise enforcement issues that judgments against private parties do not -- sovereign immunity concerns, statutory limits on levying against government property, and specialized procedures that exist precisely because ordinary levy and execution rules do not translate cleanly to a government defendant.
Naming general partners separately from partnerships themselves also has a purpose: it acknowledges that a partnership's general partners can carry personal exposure for partnership debts, distinct from the partnership entity's own liability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Enforcement of Judgments Law apply to judgments against businesses and government entities, not just individuals?
Yes. Section 680.280 defines "person" to include corporations, partnerships and other unincorporated associations, limited liability companies, and public entities, alongside natural persons.
Why does the definition list "general partner of a partnership" separately from the partnership itself?
Because a general partner can bear personal responsibility for partnership obligations distinct from the partnership entity's own liability, and the definition makes clear that exposure is covered too.
Are public entities treated the same as private defendants for enforcement purposes?
They fall within this definition of "person," but judgments against public entities often trigger separate, specialized enforcement rules elsewhere in the Enforcement of Judgments Law given the unique issues government defendants raise.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1010, Sec. 60. Effective January 1, 1995.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
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