The levying officer has a special lien, dependent upon possession, on personal property levied upon in the amount of the levying officer's costs for which an advance has not been made.
§ 687.050.Special Lien On Property Levied Upon
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 1 · Chapter 7. Levying Officers · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 687.050 gives a levying officer a special lien, contingent on keeping possession of the property, on personal property levied upon, securing the officer's costs to the extent they haven't already been advanced.
Full Text of § 687.050
Plain-English Summary
A levying officer who takes custody of personal property under a levy has a financial stake in seeing costs recovered, and § 687.050 backs that stake with a lien. The lien attaches to the personal property levied upon, in the amount of the officer's costs for which no advance has been made.
This lien depends on possession — it exists only so long as the officer holds the property. Once the officer releases custody, the lien's practical hold on that specific property goes with it. That dependency ties the lien closely to the custody methods described in § 687.030 and the liability framework of § 687.040: the officer who bears responsibility for safekeeping the property also gets a way to secure payment for the trouble.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the levying officer's special lien under this section cover?
The officer's costs, to the extent an advance hasn't already covered them, secured against the personal property that was levied upon.
Does the officer's lien apply as long as costs are owed, regardless of possession?
No. The lien is dependent on possession — it holds only while the officer retains custody of the property.
Does this lien apply to real property as well as personal property?
No, § 687.050 limits the special lien to personal property levied upon.
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
Also known as: levying officer lien californiasheriff costs lien personal property