An execution on behalf of the Commonwealth from the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond may, if the Comptroller see fit, be directed to any sheriff, of any political subdivision, and shall be served by any of such officers in whose hands the Comptroller may cause it to be placed.
§ 8.01-202.Execution, to whom issued.
Chapter 3. Actions · Article 19. Actions by the Commonwealth · Last amended 1977 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceSection 8.01-202 lets the Comptroller direct an execution issued from the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond to any sheriff anywhere in Virginia, rather than limiting enforcement to the sheriff of the court’s own jurisdiction.
Full Text of § 8.01-202
Plain-English Summary
Section 8.01-202 solves a practical problem: a debtor to the Commonwealth might live or hold property far from Richmond, even though many Commonwealth collection proceedings run through the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond. The section lets an execution issued on the Commonwealth’s behalf from that court be directed, if the Comptroller sees fit, to the sheriff of any political subdivision in Virginia.
Whichever sheriff the Comptroller chooses to place the execution with is the officer required to serve it. The section gives the Comptroller flexibility to send enforcement wherever the debtor or the debtor’s property is, instead of confining collection efforts to the City of Richmond.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would an execution from a Richmond court need to go to a sheriff elsewhere in the state?
Because a debtor to the Commonwealth may live or hold property outside the City of Richmond, even though the underlying case may run through the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond.
Who decides which sheriff receives the execution?
The Comptroller, who may direct the execution to any sheriff of any political subdivision in Virginia if the Comptroller sees fit.
Does the debtor’s location determine which sheriff gets the writ?
The section does not require the Comptroller to send the writ to any particular sheriff based on the debtor’s location — it authorizes the Comptroller to direct it to whichever sheriff is appropriate.
Is this rule specific to Commonwealth debt-collection cases?
Yes. Section 8.01-202 applies specifically to an execution on behalf of the Commonwealth issued from the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond.
Can more than one sheriff receive the same execution over time?
The section addresses who the execution is directed to and served by, and the article’s later sections on venditioni exponas writs describe how enforcement can move to an adjacent county’s sheriff if property goes unsold.
Amendment History
Code 1950, § 8-765; 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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