The sheriff shall make a signed return to the clerk who issued the writ, showing that all formalities have been complied with and stating the manner in which the writ was executed, a description of the property sold, the name of the purchaser, the purchase price, and the disposition thereof.
Art. 2343.Sheriff's Return After Sale
Book IV. Execution of Judgments · Title II. Money Judgments · Chapter 2. Judicial Sale Under Fieri Facias · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 2343 requires the sheriff to file a signed return with the clerk who issued the writ, documenting that every formality of the sale was met and stating how the writ was executed, what property sold, who purchased it, the price paid, and how the proceeds were disposed of.
Full Text of Art. 2343
Plain-English Summary
A return is the sheriff's official closing report on a writ, and Article 2343 requires one after a judicial sale the same way Article 2294 requires one after a seizure. Where the earlier return documents that the property was seized, this one documents that it was sold and closes out the writ for good.
The return has to show that all the required formalities were followed, describe how the writ was carried out, identify the property that sold, name the purchaser, state the purchase price, and explain what happened to the proceeds. Filed with the clerk who issued the writ, it becomes part of the court record, giving anyone who later needs to confirm the sale's regularity, or resolve a dispute about it, a documented account to consult.
The return is the sheriff's accounting of the process from writ to proceeds, not the mechanism that distributes the money itself; the rules governing how the proceeds get paid out among the seizing creditor, other lienholders, and the debtor live elsewhere. The return records how that distribution played out for this particular sale.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a sheriff's return after a judicial sale?
A signed report the sheriff files with the clerk who issued the writ, documenting that the sale's formalities were met and describing how the writ was executed.
What information must the return include?
A description of the property sold, the purchaser's name, the purchase price, and how the proceeds of the sale were disposed of, along with confirmation that all formalities were followed.
Who receives the sheriff's return?
The clerk of court who issued the writ, where it becomes part of the record of the proceeding.
Why does the sheriff have to file a return after the sale?
To create an official record confirming how the sale was carried out, closing out the writ and documenting the sale for anyone who later needs to review it.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
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