Except as otherwise provided by statute, this chapter governs enforcement of a money judgment by a writ of execution.
§ 699.010.Generally
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 3. Execution · Article 1. General Provisions · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 699.010 establishes that, unless some other statute provides differently, this chapter is the governing law for enforcing a money judgment through a writ of execution.
Full Text of § 699.010
Plain-English Summary
This is the opening line of California's execution law, and it does one job: it tells you where to look. Chapter 3 covers how a money judgment gets enforced by writ of execution, from issuing the writ through the levy, the third-party duties that follow, and eventual sale or collection.
The opening clause matters as much as the rest of the sentence. Other statutes can and do carve out different rules for particular kinds of property or particular judgments — wage garnishment has its own chapter, family support judgments carry their own overlay under § 699.510, and specific property types get their own levy procedures in Article 4. Section 699.010 just sets the default: absent one of those carve-outs, this chapter controls.
Everything that follows in this chapter — the writ itself (§ 699.510), the notice of levy (§ 699.540), what property can be reached (§ 699.710), and what a third person holding the debtor's property has to do (§ 701.010) — builds on this single foundational statement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Section 699.010 do?
It establishes that Chapter 3 of the execution law governs enforcement of a money judgment by writ of execution, except where another statute provides otherwise.
Are there situations where a different law controls instead of this chapter?
Yes. Section 699.010 opens with that exception, and other statutes — such as the Wage Garnishment Law or the Family Code overlay referenced in § 699.510 — supply different rules for particular judgments or property.
Does this section itself create any procedure?
No. It is a scope-setting statement. The procedures themselves come from the sections that follow throughout this chapter.
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: writ of execution california scopeexecution of money judgment california