When the defendant has been served with the order for attachment, or appears in the action, the judgment shall have the same force and effect as in other civil cases; and enforcement may be had thereon, not only against the property attached, but the other property of the defendant.
4-139.Effect of judgment.
Article IV. Attachment · Part 1. In General · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceOnce a defendant has been served with the attachment order or has appeared, the resulting judgment carries the full force of any ordinary civil judgment and can be enforced against the debtor's other property, not just what was attached.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/4-139
Plain-English Summary
Section 4-139 describes what an attachment judgment is worth once the defendant has had real notice of the case. When the defendant has been served with the order for attachment, or has appeared in the action, the judgment carries the same force and effect as a judgment in any other civil case.
That equivalence has a practical payoff: enforcement is not confined to the property that was attached. It may proceed against the attached property and against the defendant's other property as well, exactly as an ordinary civil judgment would be enforced.
Frequently Asked Questions
What gives an attachment judgment the same force as an ordinary civil judgment?
The defendant having been served with the order for attachment, or having appeared in the action.
Is enforcement of the judgment limited to the property that was attached?
No. Section 4-139 allows enforcement against the property attached and against the defendant's other property, the same as any other civil judgment.
How does this differ from the default judgment described in Section 4-140?
Section 4-140 limits a default judgment against a defendant who was never served in-state to enforcement against only the attached property, while this section allows full enforcement once the defendant was served or appeared.
Does appearing in the case without being served still trigger this full-force judgment?
Yes. Section 4-139 treats service with the order for attachment and appearance in the action as alternative ways of triggering the same full-effect judgment.
What kind of judgment does an attachment case produce once these conditions are met?
A judgment with the same force and effect as in other civil cases, not one specially limited by the attachment procedure.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 83-707.)
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: effect of attachment judgment illinoisenforce judgment other property attachmentattachment judgment full forceattachment judgment enforcement