§ 25-1916.Appeal; supersedeas; cash or bond; effect; undertakings; amount, terms, and conditions; effect of having corporate surety.
Article 19: Appeals and Proceedings in Error · Last amended 2004 · Last verified July 22, 2026
Full Text of § 25-1916
Source
G.S.1873, c. 57, § 3, p. 716; Laws 1889, c. 26, § 1, p. 371; Laws 1903, c. 126, § 1, p. 632; R.S.1913, § 8189; C.S.1922, § 9141; Laws 1925, c. 68, § 1, p. 227; C.S.1929, § 20-1916; Laws 1939, c. 16, § 1, p. 94; C.S.Supp.,1941, § 20-1916; R.S.1943, § 25-1916; Laws 1971, LB 377, § 1; Laws 1981, LB 42, § 16; Laws 1986, LB 529, § 26; Laws 1991, LB 732, § 56; Laws 1994, LB 899, § 1; Laws 1999, LB 43, § 10; Laws 2004, LB 1207, § 8.
Plain-English Summary
An appeal by itself does not stop a judgment from being enforced — that is what a supersedeas bond is for. Section 25-1916 requires the appellant, within thirty days after entry of the judgment, decree, or final order, to execute a bond with sureties to the adverse party, deposit United States Government bonds with the clerk, or make a cash deposit with the clerk, before the appeal operates as a supersedeas.
For a money judgment, the amount is the lesser of three figures: the judgment plus taxable court costs plus the estimated interest and appeal costs the trial court determines will accrue before the appeal is finally decided; fifty percent of the appellant’s net worth; or fifty million dollars. If an appellee proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the appellant is dissipating or diverting assets outside the ordinary course of business to avoid paying the judgment, the court can enter protective orders and require a bond, government-bond deposit, or cash deposit up to the full amount otherwise calculated. Once an approved cash deposit, government-bond deposit, or corporate-surety bond is filed, the judgment’s general lien is dissolved.
Three other categories of judgment get their own formulas, each capped at the lesser of fifty percent of the appellant’s net worth or fifty million dollars: a judgment directing execution of a conveyance or other instrument, a judgment directing the sale or delivery of possession of real estate, and a judgment dissolving or modifying an injunction. The conveyance category requires the appellant to promise diligent prosecution of the appeal and performance of the ultimate decision; the real estate category adds promises against waste on the property and payment of rents or damages during the appeal; and the injunction category, once posted, keeps the injunction in force until the appeal is finally decided, and the undertaking given when the injunction was first allowed remains in effect until it is finally decided whether the injunction should have been granted at all. A 2004 amendment to this section applies to all cases pending or filed on or after April 16, 2004.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an appeal automatically stop a judgment from being enforced?
No. Enforcement continues unless the appellant executes a supersedeas bond, deposits United States Government bonds, or makes a cash deposit as this section describes, within thirty days after entry of the judgment.
How is the bond amount calculated for a money judgment?
It is the lesser of the judgment plus costs plus estimated interest and appeal costs, fifty percent of the appellant’s net worth, or fifty million dollars.
Is there a cap on how large the bond can be?
Yes. Every category under this section caps the amount at the lesser of a percentage of the appellant’s net worth and a fifty-million-dollar ceiling.
What happens if the appellant is hiding or moving assets to avoid paying?
If the appellee proves that by a preponderance of the evidence, the court may enter protective orders and require a bond, government-bond deposit, or cash deposit up to the full amount the formula would otherwise produce.
Does posting a supersedeas bond affect the judgment lien?
Yes. Once an approved cash deposit, government-bond deposit, or corporate-surety bond is filed, the judgment’s general lien is dissolved.
What happens to an injunction while the case is on appeal?
If the judgment dissolved or modified an injunction, posting the required undertaking stays that action and keeps the injunction in force until the appeal is finally decided.