"Personal property" includes both tangible and intangible personal property.
§ 680.290.Personal Property
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 1 · Chapter 1. Short Title and Definitions · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 680.290 defines personal property to include both tangible and intangible personal property, an umbrella definition that sets up the more specific categories -- like chattel paper, deposit accounts, and general intangibles -- defined elsewhere in this chapter.
Full Text of § 680.290
Plain-English Summary
This is a short, structural definition rather than a substantive one. It confirms that "personal property" throughout the Enforcement of Judgments Law covers both the physical (tangible) and the abstract (intangible), rather than being limited to things you can touch.
The real detail lives in the more specific definitions this umbrella term supports: § 680.370 spells out what counts as tangible personal property, while §§ 680.120, 680.130, 680.170, and 680.210 define individual categories of intangible property like accounts, deposit accounts, and general intangibles. This section is the header that ties all of those together into one broader category distinct from real property under § 680.320.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does "personal property" under this title include things like bank accounts and receivables, not just physical objects?
Yes. Section 680.290 defines personal property to include both tangible and intangible personal property, and the more specific definitions elsewhere in this chapter cover intangible categories like deposit accounts and general intangibles.
How does personal property differ from real property under the Enforcement of Judgments Law?
Real property, defined separately in § 680.320, covers rights in land and includes leasehold interests; personal property is everything else, tangible or intangible.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1364, Sec. 2. Operative July 1, 1983, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 1364.
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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