§ 701.530.Notice of Sale of Personal Property

Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 3. Execution · Article 6. Sale and Collection · Last amended 2003 · Last verified July 28, 2026

In one sentenceSection 701.530 requires written notice of a personal property sale, stating date, time, place, and a description of the property, to be posted in three public places and served on the debtor at least ten days before the sale, with sales of an individual's property delayed until the exemption period runs.

Full Text of § 701.530

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d)

(a) Notice of sale of personal property shall be in writing, shall state the date, time, and place of sale, and shall describe the property to be sold.

(b) Not less than 10 days before a sale of personal property, notice of sale shall be posted and served on the judgment debtor by the levying officer. Service shall be made personally or by mail.

(1) The city in which the property is to be sold if it is to be sold in a city.

(2) The county in which the property is to be sold if it is not to be sold in a city.

(d) A sale of personal property of an individual may not take place until the expiration of the time during which the judgment debtor may make a claim of exemption under subdivision (a) of Section 703.520.

Plain-English Summary

A sale of levied personal property can't be sprung on the judgment debtor without warning. Section 701.530 requires written notice stating the date, time, and place of sale and describing the property, posted and served on the debtor by the levying officer at least ten days beforehand. Service can be personal or by mail.

Posting has to happen in three public places — in the city where the sale will occur if it's a city sale, or in the county if the sale isn't happening in a city.

When the debtor is an individual rather than a business, the sale also can't go forward until the time allowed for claiming an exemption under § 703.520(a) has run, giving the debtor a real chance to protect exempt property before it's sold out from under them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much advance notice is required before a personal property sale?

At least ten days, with notice posted and served on the judgment debtor.

Where does the notice have to be posted?

In three public places in the city where the property will be sold, or in the county if it's not sold in a city.

Can personal property of an individual debtor be sold right after the notice period runs?

No, the sale also has to wait until the time to claim an exemption under § 703.520(a) has expired.

Amendment History

Amended by Stats 2002 ch 784 (SB 1316),s 68, eff. 1/1/2003.

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: notice of sale personal property california