If a final money judgment has been levied upon and the levying officer has served the judgment debtor under the final money judgment levied upon, the judgment debtor shall make any payments due under the judgment to the levying officer. Payments made to a person other than the levying officer do not discharge the obligation of the judgment debtor under the final money judgment levied upon if the payments are made after the judgment debtor has received notice of the levy.
§ 701.070.Payments If Final Money Judgment Levied Upon
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 3. Execution · Article 5. Duties and Liabilities of Third Persons After Levy · Enacted 1984 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 701.070 requires a judgment debtor who has been served under a final money judgment that has itself been levied upon to make any payments due under that judgment to the levying officer, and provides that payments made to anyone else after notice of the levy do not discharge the obligation.
Full Text of § 701.070
Plain-English Summary
A final money judgment can itself be property that gets levied upon — one debtor's judgment against someone else can be reached by that debtor's own creditor. This section covers what happens once that underlying judgment debtor is served under such a levy.
Payments due under the judgment now have to go to the levying officer rather than to the original judgment creditor who obtained that final money judgment. And just as with instruments under § 701.060 and account debtors under § 701.050, a payment sent anywhere else after notice of the levy has been received does not satisfy the obligation — the debtor under the levied judgment remains on the hook until payment reaches the levying officer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What triggers the duties in this section?
Service on the judgment debtor under a final money judgment that has itself been levied upon.
Where do payments under the levied judgment now have to go?
To the levying officer, rather than to the original holder of that final money judgment.
Does paying someone other than the levying officer ever satisfy this obligation?
Not once notice of the levy has been received — a payment made to anyone else after that point does not discharge the obligation under the levied judgment.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 538, Sec. 25.5.
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: levy on final money judgment californiapayments final judgment levied california