Where matter in discharge of a judgment has arisen since its entry, the defendant or any interested person may, on motion, have the same discharged in whole or in part, according to the circumstances.
Rule 1.1016.Judgment discharged on motion
Division X: Proceedings After Judgment · Last amended February 15, 2002 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1.1016 lets a defendant or other interested person move to have a judgment discharged in whole or in part when something happened after entry of the judgment that satisfies or reduces it.
Full Text of Rule 1.1016
Plain-English Summary
A judgment can be technically valid and yet no longer reflect what's owed, because something happened afterward — a payment, a settlement, a release — that discharges it in whole or in part. Rule 1.1016 gives a way to get the record to match that reality: where matter in discharge of a judgment has arisen since its entry, the defendant or any other interested person may move to have the judgment discharged, in whole or in part, according to the circumstances.
The rule is deliberately open-ended about what counts as “matter in discharge” and who qualifies as an “interested person,” leaving the court to evaluate the specific facts of each motion. What it does make clear is the timing: the discharging event has to have arisen since the judgment's entry, not something that existed and could have been raised in the original case.
Frequently Asked Questions
I paid off a judgment against me, but the court record still shows it as unsatisfied. What can I do?
Rule 1.1016 lets the defendant move to have the judgment discharged in whole or in part where matter in discharge of the judgment has arisen since its entry, which covers a post-judgment payment or satisfaction.
Do I have to be the actual defendant to bring this motion?
No. Rule 1.1016 allows the motion to be brought by the defendant or by any other interested person, not only the named defendant in the judgment.
Can I use this rule to challenge something that happened before the judgment was entered?
No. Rule 1.1016 applies to matter in discharge that has arisen since entry of the judgment, so it is not a vehicle for relitigating facts or defenses that existed at the time of the original judgment.
Can the judgment be partially discharged rather than entirely wiped out?
Yes. Rule 1.1016 expressly allows the court to discharge the judgment in whole or in part, according to the circumstances of the case.
How do I bring this kind of request to the court?
Rule 1.1016 describes this as something done on motion, rather than through a new lawsuit or a petition under rules 1.1012 and 1.1013.
Source & verification. Rule text and the Comment are
reproduced verbatim from the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure, adopted by the
Iowa Supreme Court. Last verified July 15, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: iowa discharge judgment motionjudgment satisfied after entry iowarule 1.1016 iowa civil procedurepartial discharge of judgment iowainterested person discharge judgment iowa