When a judgment is against several persons jointly, executions thereon may be joint against all of them.
§ 8.01-469.Executions on joint judgments.
Chapter 18. Executions and Other Means of Recovery · Article 1. Issue and Form; Motion to Quash · Last amended 1977 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceWhen a court enters judgment jointly against several defendants, this section lets the creditor obtain a single execution that runs against all of them together, rather than forcing separate writs for each judgment debtor named in the same judgment.
Full Text of § 8.01-469
Plain-English Summary
Some judgments name more than one defendant and hold them jointly liable for the same debt. Section 8.01-469 makes clear that a creditor collecting on that kind of judgment does not need a separate writ for each defendant — one execution can run against all of them at once.
That efficiency matters in practice. A creditor pursuing several joint debtors can direct a single writ of fieri facias to an officer, who then may levy on property belonging to any or all of the named debtors to satisfy the judgment, rather than juggling parallel writs with separate return dates and separate accountings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one execution cover multiple defendants?
Yes, when the underlying judgment is against several persons jointly, the resulting execution may be joint against all of them.
Does a creditor need a separate writ for each joint defendant?
No. This section permits a single joint execution rather than requiring separate writs for each debtor.
What kind of judgment does this section address?
It addresses a judgment entered against several persons jointly, meaning each named defendant shares liability for the same judgment amount.
Does this section limit how the creditor collects from each joint debtor?
The text does not impose such a limit; it only authorizes the execution itself to be joint against all the judgment debtors.
Is this section related to how the writ commands the officer to collect?
It works alongside § 8.01-474, which defines what a writ of fieri facias commands the officer to do once issued, whether against one debtor or several.
Amendment History
Code 1950, § 8-401; 1977, c. 617.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Code of Virginia, published by the
Code of Virginia, Virginia Division of Legislative Automated Systems. Last verified July 16, 2026.
· Official source
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