The court shall fix the master's compensation and order it paid or advanced by such parties, or from such fund or property, as it may deem just. Execution may issue on such order at the master's demand. The master shall not retain any reports as security for compensation.
Rule 1.936.Compensation
Division IX: Trial and Judgment · Last amended February 15, 2002 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceRule 1.936 has the court fix a master's compensation and order it paid or advanced by the parties or from a designated fund, allows execution on that order, and bars the master from holding reports hostage for payment.
Full Text of Rule 1.936
Plain-English Summary
Someone has to pay for a master's work, and Rule 1.936 puts that decision in the court's hands. The court fixes the master's compensation and orders it paid or advanced by whichever parties, or from whatever fund or property, the court deems just — the rule gives the court flexibility to allocate that cost based on the case's circumstances.
If the compensation order goes unpaid, the master is not left without a remedy: execution may issue on the order at the master's demand, the same enforcement tool used to collect other court-ordered payments. But the rule also protects the parties from a different kind of leverage — the master may not retain reports as security for compensation, so a dispute over payment cannot be used to withhold the master's findings from the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides how much a master gets paid?
The court does. Rule 1.936 has the court fix the master's compensation and order it paid or advanced by the parties, or from a fund or property, as the court deems just.
Can a master collect unpaid compensation through the court's enforcement process?
Yes. Rule 1.936 allows execution to issue on the compensation order at the master's demand.
Can a master withhold a report until compensation is paid?
No. Rule 1.936 expressly states that the master shall not retain any reports as security for compensation.
Does the losing party automatically pay the master's compensation?
Not necessarily. Rule 1.936 leaves the allocation to the court's judgment, which may order payment or advancement by particular parties, or from a designated fund or property, as it deems just.
Can compensation be paid from property involved in the case rather than by a party directly?
Yes. Rule 1.936 allows the court to order compensation paid or advanced from such fund or property as it deems just, not only from a party directly.
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 master compensation rulewho pays for a referee iowamaster fees execution iowareferee cannot withhold report iowa