§ 8.01-483.Return of officer on fieri facias; statement filed therewith.
Chapter 18. Executions and Other Means of Recovery · Article 3. Return and Venditioni Exponas · Last amended 1986 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceThe officer executing a writ of fieri facias must report back whether the money was collected, partly collected, or could not be made at all, file a detailed statement of amounts received and fees deducted, and record how and when the writ was served, levied, and satisfied.
Full Text of § 8.01-483
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Upon a writ of fieri facias, the officer shall return whether the money therein mentioned has been or cannot be made. If there is only part thereof which is or cannot be made, he shall return the amount of such part. With every execution under which money is recovered, he shall return a statement of the amount received, including his fees and other charges, and shall pay such amount, except such fees and charges, to the person entitled. In his return upon every execution, the officer shall also state in what manner a copy of the writ was served in accordance with § 8.01- 487.1, whether or not he made a levy of the same, the date and time of such levy, the date when he received such
payment or obtained such satisfaction upon such execution and, if there is more than one defendant, from which defendant he received the same.
Plain-English Summary
A writ of fieri facias does not just disappear once the officer acts on it — it comes back to the court with a full accounting. Section 8.01-483 spells out what that return must contain. At minimum, the officer reports whether the money named in the writ was collected, whether only part of it was collected, or whether none of it could be made at all.
When money changes hands, the paperwork gets more detailed. The officer must file a statement showing the total amount received, including fees and other charges deducted along the way, and pay over everything except those fees and charges to the person entitled to receive it. The return itself must also describe how a copy of the writ was served under § 8.01-487.1, whether a levy was made and exactly when, when payment or satisfaction was obtained, and — if there is more than one defendant — which defendant paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must the officer’s return on a fieri facias state?
Whether the money has been made, cannot be made, or, if only part was made, the amount of that part.
What must accompany an execution under which money is recovered?
A statement of the amount received, including the officer’s fees and other charges, along with payment of that amount, except the fees and charges, to the person entitled.
Must the officer explain how the writ was served?
Yes, the return must state in what manner a copy of the writ was served in accordance with § 8.01-487.1.
Does the return need to specify the date and time of levy?
Yes, along with whether a levy was made at all and the date payment or satisfaction was obtained.
What happens if there is more than one defendant named in the execution?
The officer must state from which defendant the payment was received.
Amendment History
Code 1950, § 8-416; 1977, c. 617; 1986, c. 341.
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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