Upon motion and proof of service, a court in which a judgment has been entered or recorded may order such relief regarding property subject to enforcement of the judgment as may be deemed necessary and appropriate to aid enforcement of the judgment pursuant to these rules, including an order (a) to any person enjoining the destruction, alteration, transfer, removal, conveyance, assignment, or other disposition of such property, (b) to any person enjoining the negotiation, transfer, assignment, or other disposition of a document representing an interest in such property, (c) to any person directing the disclosure to the sheriff of the whereabouts of such property, (d) to any person directing that any such property which has been removed from the jurisdiction, concealed, or made inaccessible for the purpose of avoiding levy be delivered to the sheriff or made available for levy, (e) to any person directing the surrender to the sheriff of such property located in that state, and (f) to the sheriff of any county where such property is located directing the sheriff to take physical possession of and sequester such property. The motion shall be served on the person against whom the order is sought in the manner provided by Chapter 100 of this Title for service of process to obtain personal jurisdiction and if that person is not the judgment debtor, a copy of the motion shall be mailed to the judgment debtor’s last known address.
Rule 2-651.Ancillary relief in aid of enforcement
Circuit Court · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceRule 2-651 lets a court issue targeted orders to freeze, locate, or secure property so a judgment can be enforced against it.
Full Text of Rule 2-651
Committee Note & Source
Source. This Rule is new.
Plain-English Summary
Between winning a judgment and collecting on it, property has a way of disappearing — moved, hidden, signed over, or made hard to find. Rule 2-651 gives the court in which a judgment was entered or recorded a set of ancillary orders aimed at keeping that from happening, issued on motion and proof of service. The court can order whatever relief regarding the property is necessary and appropriate to aid enforcement, and the rule lists the main tools: an order barring anyone from destroying, altering, transferring, removing, conveying, assigning, or otherwise disposing of the property; an order barring the negotiation, transfer, assignment, or other disposition of a document representing an interest in it; an order directing disclosure to the sheriff of where the property is; an order directing that property already removed, concealed, or made inaccessible to dodge a levy be delivered to the sheriff or made available for levy; an order directing surrender of the property to the sheriff if it is located in Maryland; and an order to the sheriff of any county where the property sits, directing the sheriff to take physical possession of it and sequester it.
These orders can reach beyond the judgment debtor to anyone holding or controlling the property. The motion asking for one has to be served on the person the order is sought against the same way a party would serve process to get personal jurisdiction over them. If that person is not the judgment debtor, a copy of the motion also has to be mailed to the debtor's last known address, so the debtor is not left in the dark about a fight over property tied to their judgment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of orders can a court issue under this rule?
Orders necessary and appropriate to aid enforcement of a judgment, including bans on disposing of the property or documents representing an interest in it, orders requiring disclosure of the property's whereabouts, orders directing surrender of concealed or hidden property, and orders directing a sheriff to take physical possession and sequester the property.
Who can these orders be directed against?
Any person holding, controlling, or with knowledge of the property — not only the judgment debtor.
How does someone get one of these orders?
By motion, with proof of service, filed in the court where the judgment was entered or recorded.
What if the order is sought against someone other than the judgment debtor?
The motion must be served on that person the same way process is served to obtain personal jurisdiction, and a copy must also be mailed to the judgment debtor's last known address.
Source & verification. Rule text, Committee Note, Source note, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Maryland Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Maryland. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: freezing assets to enforce a judgment Marylandancillary relief judgment enforcementorder to disclose location of propertysheriff sequester property judgmentstopping a debtor from hiding assets