§ 680.320.Real 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
Full Text of § 680.320
Plain-English Summary
Not every debtor who has valuable real estate holdings owns land outright. Some hold a leasehold -- the right to occupy and use property for a term of years -- and this section makes clear that kind of interest still counts as "real property" for enforcement purposes, not something categorically excluded because it falls short of full ownership.
The phrase "any right in real property" is doing the heavy lifting, with the leasehold example illustrating rather than limiting the scope. Easements, life estates, and other lesser real property interests can fall within this definition as well, so a judgment creditor evaluating what real estate-related assets a debtor holds needs to look past bare fee ownership.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does "real property" under the Enforcement of Judgments Law only mean owning land outright?
No. Section 680.320 defines it to include any right in real property, expressly giving a leasehold interest as one example of a covered right short of full ownership.
Can a judgment creditor reach a debtor's leasehold interest in real estate?
Because a leasehold interest falls within this definition of real property, it can potentially be reached through the enforcement procedures that apply to real property generally.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1364, Sec. 2. Operative July 1, 1983, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 1364.