The court may appoint a receiver to enforce the judgment where the judgment creditor shows that, considering the interests of both the judgment creditor and the judgment debtor, the appointment of a receiver is a reasonable method to obtain the fair and orderly satisfaction of the judgment.
§ 708.620.When Court May Appoint Receiver
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 2 · Chapter 6. Miscellaneous Creditors' Remedies · Article 7. Receiver to Enforce Judgment · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 708.620 authorizes the court to appoint a receiver to enforce a judgment when the judgment creditor shows that, weighing both the creditor's and debtor's interests, appointing a receiver offers a reasonable way to achieve fair and orderly satisfaction of the judgment.
Full Text of § 708.620
Plain-English Summary
This is the operative standard for judgment-enforcement receiverships. The creditor has to show the court that appointing a receiver is a reasonable method for satisfying the judgment in a fair and orderly way, not merely that a receiver would help the creditor collect faster or more aggressively.
The statute requires the court to weigh both sides' interests, which keeps this remedy from becoming a rubber stamp. Receivership is a relatively intrusive tool, since it puts someone else in control of the debtor's property or business interests, so courts reserve it for situations where more routine enforcement methods, like levy or garnishment, would not reach what the debtor owns as effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must a creditor show to get a receiver appointed under this article?
That, considering the interests of both the creditor and the debtor, appointing a receiver is a reasonable method to obtain fair and orderly satisfaction of the judgment.
Does the court only consider the creditor's interests in deciding whether to appoint a receiver?
No. Section 708.620 directs the court to weigh the interests of both the judgment creditor and the judgment debtor.
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
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