By a writ of fieri facias, the officer shall be commanded to make the money therein mentioned out of the goods and chattels of the person against whom the judgment is.
§ 8.01-474.What writ of fieri facias to command.
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 sentenceThis brief section defines the core command every writ of fieri facias must carry: an instruction directing the officer to satisfy the judgment amount out of the goods and chattels belonging to the person against whom the judgment was entered.
Full Text of § 8.01-474
Plain-English Summary
Section 8.01-474 distills the writ of fieri facias to its essential instruction. The officer receiving it is commanded to make the money specified in the writ out of the goods and chattels of the judgment debtor — nothing more elaborate than that.
That single sentence explains why fieri facias reaches personal property rather than real estate or wages directly: its command targets goods and chattels, the tangible and movable property a debtor owns. Other statutes in this chapter build out the details — how the officer levies, advertises, and sells that property — but this section supplies the foundational command every writ must contain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a writ of fieri facias command the officer to do?
It commands the officer to make the money mentioned in the writ out of the goods and chattels of the person against whom the judgment was entered.
Does fieri facias target real estate directly?
The text directs the officer to the debtor’s goods and chattels, meaning personal property, rather than real estate.
Whose property does the writ reach?
The property of the person against whom the judgment is entered, meaning the judgment debtor.
Is this section the source of the officer’s authority to levy?
It states the writ’s core command; the mechanics of levy, notice, and sale are addressed in other sections of this chapter.
Does the amount commanded include costs as well as the judgment itself?
The text refers broadly to “the money therein mentioned,” which is the amount stated in the writ itself.
Amendment History
Code 1950, § 8-406; 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
Also known as: what does a writ of fieri facias commandvirginia fi fa writ meaningfieri facias goods and chattels virginia8.01-474 virginia code