A Writ of Execution is a judicial order to aid a Judgment Creditor with collecting a Judgment (monies owed) from a Judgment Debtor. The most common procedure for this action is a Wage Levy or a Bank Levy. These are issued by the district court to direct the Sheriff's Office to satisfy (or "collect on") a judgment.
Writs of Execution must be brought to the Sheriff's Office of the county where the assets (money, property, etc) are physically located. These assets may be personal or real property. It is the responsibility of the Judgment Creditor (the party trying to collect) to locate and identify assets belonging to the judgment debtor that can be Levied (seized) to satisfy the Judgment.
Writs of Execution are valid for 180 days from the date on which the Judge signed the document. However, the Judgment on which the Writ is based is usually valid only for 10 years, but can be renewed even further with an additional court process.
Before the Sheriff's Office can process & serve any Writs of Execution, the Judgment Creditor must read & complete our Execution Instruction Sheet, found on the link below. The Sheriff's Office charges an $90 process fee for Writs of Execution. A second $15 check made payable to the bank or employer (whichever is applicable) is also required when bank accounts or wages are to be levied.
For any questions on Sheriff's Office fees, please reference our 2020 Sheriff's Office Fee Schedule found on the bottom of the page.
At an Eviction hearing, a Judge determines who has a legal right to occupy property. If the Judge rules in favor of the petitioner/homeowner, a Writ of Recovery of Premises and Order to Vacate will be authorized by the Court. This is an order instructing the Sheriff’s Office to restore the premises to its rightful owner.
This Writ must be brought to the Saint Louis County Sheriff’s Office by the petitioner, and is only valid for thirty (30) days from the date of the Judge’s signature.
Once the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office receives the Writ and accompanying payment, a deputy will serve the Writ on the occupants if they are home, or post the court papers on the door of the premises if no answer is received. The Sheriff’s Office will then inform the requesting party of the exact date and time the Writ had been served (or posted) at the address.
A notice will also be provided to the occupants informing them that the Sheriff’s Office can physically remove them from the premises after the allowed 24-hour window from the service or posting time. Tenants who return are subject to trespassing.
If the unlawful occupants fail to vacate the premises, it is the responsibility of the Petitioner/Homeowner to contact the Sheriff’s Office to schedule a time for removal of the unlawful occupants and/or their property from the address.