The court may, at any time before the proceeds of any attached property have been paid over to the judgment creditors, order the whole or any part thereof to be deposited with the clerk of the court, and the court may enter any and all orders concerning the same as it deems just.
4-144.Payment into court.
Article IV. Attachment · Part 1. In General · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceBefore proceeds from attached property reach the judgment creditors, the court may order them deposited with the clerk and can then enter whatever orders it deems just about how they are handled.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/4-144
Plain-English Summary
Section 4-144 gives the court a checkpoint over money generated from attached property before it is finally distributed. At any time before the proceeds of attached property have been paid over to the judgment creditors, the court may order the whole or any part of those proceeds deposited with the clerk of the court.
Once deposited, the court may enter any and all orders concerning that money that it deems just, giving it flexibility to resolve disputes over entitlement, priority, or amount before the funds move to their final destination.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can a court order proceeds from attached property deposited with the clerk?
At any time before those proceeds have been paid over to the judgment creditors.
Does the court have to order the entire amount deposited, or can it order only part?
Either. Section 4-144 lets the court order the whole or any part of the proceeds deposited with the clerk.
What can the court do with proceeds once they are deposited under this section?
Enter any and all orders concerning the proceeds that the court deems just.
Why would a court want to hold proceeds with the clerk rather than let them go straight to creditors?
The statute does not specify a particular reason, but the mechanism gives the court control over disputed or uncertain distributions before money reaches judgment creditors.
How does this section interact with the pro rata sharing rules in Section 4-142?
It gives the court a practical tool for holding proceeds while it works out how the sharing and priority rules under Section 4-142 apply to a given case.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
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: payment into court attachment illinoisdeposit attachment proceeds with clerkcourt order attached property proceedscourt order proceeds attachment