ARTICLE 3. Lien in Pending Action or Proceeding [491.410. - 491.470.]

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP 3.

in effect

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 491.410. Section 491.410.

(a) If the defendant is a party to a pending action or special proceeding, the plaintiff may obtain a lien under this article, to the extent required to secure the amount to be secured by the attachment, on both of the following: (1) Any cause of action of the defendant for money or property that is the subject of the other action or proceeding, if the money or property would be subject to attachment if the defendant prevails in the action or proceedings. (2) The rights of the defendant to money or property under any judgment subsequently procured in the other action or proceeding, if the money or property would be subject to attachment. (b) To obtain a lien under this article, the plaintiff shall file all of the following in the other pending action or special proceeding: (1) A notice of lien. (2) A copy of the right to attach order. (3) A copy of an order permitting creation of a lien under this article made by the court that issued the right to attach order. (c) At the time of the filing under subdivision (b) or promptly thereafter, the plaintiff shall serve on all parties who, prior thereto, have made an appearance in the other action or special proceeding a copy of the notice of lien and a statement of the date when the notice of lien was filed in the other action or special proceeding. Failure to serve all parties as required by this subdivision does not affect the lien created by the filing under subdivision (b), but the rights of a party are not affected by the lien until the party has notice of the lien. (d) For the purpose of this article, an action or special proceeding is pending until the time for appeal from the judgment has expired or, if an appeal is filed, until the appeal has been finally determined.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 491.415. Section 491.415.

(a) For the purpose of applying for a right to attach order, the defendant’s cause of action that is the subject of the pending action or proceeding and the defendant’s rights to money or property under a judgment procured in the action or proceeding shall be treated as property subject to attachment. (b) At the time the plaintiff applies for a right to attach order, the plaintiff may apply for an order permitting creation of a lien under this article. If the plaintiff has already obtained a right to attach order, an application for an order permitting creation of a lien under this article may be applied for in the same manner as a writ of attachment. As a prerequisite to obtaining an order under this subdivision, the plaintiff shall file an undertaking as provided by Sections 489.210 and 489.220. (c) The defendant may, but is not required to, claim an exemption in a proceeding initiated by the plaintiff for an order permitting creation of a lien under this article. An exemption may be claimed if the money or property sought by the defendant would be exempt from attachment should the defendant prevail in the other action or proceeding. The exemption shall be claimed and determined pursuant to this subdivision in the same manner as an exemption is claimed and determined upon application for a writ of attachment.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 491.420. Section 491.420.

The notice of lien under Section 491.410 shall contain all of the following: (a) A statement that a lien has been created under this article and the title of the court and the cause and number of the pending action or proceeding in which the notice of lien is filed. (b) The name and last known address of the defendant. (c) The name and address of the plaintiff. (d) The title of the court where the plaintiff’s action against the defendant is pending and the cause and number of the action. (e) The amount required to secure the amount to be secured by the attachment at the time the notice of lien is filed in the action or proceeding. (f) A statement that the lien attaches to any cause of action of the defendant that is the subject of such action or proceeding and to the defendant’s rights to money or property under any judgment subsequently procured in the action or proceeding. (g) A statement that no compromise, dismissal, settlement, or satisfaction of the pending action or proceeding or any of the defendant’s rights to money or property under any judgment procured therein may be entered into by or on behalf of the defendant, and that the defendant may not enforce the defendant’s rights to money or property under any judgment procured in the pending action or proceeding by a writ or otherwise, unless one of the following requirements is satisfied: (1) The prior approval by order of the court in which the action or proceeding is pending has been obtained. (2) The written consent of the plaintiff has been obtained or the plaintiff has released the lien.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 491.430. Section 491.430.

(a) The court in which the action or special proceeding subject to the lien under this article is pending may permit the plaintiff who has obtained the lien to intervene in the action or proceeding pursuant to Section 387. (b) For the purposes of subdivision (a) of Section 491.460 and Section 491.470, a plaintiff shall be deemed to be a party to the action or special proceeding even though the plaintiff has not become a party to the action or proceeding under subdivision (a).

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 491.440. Section 491.440.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (c) of Section 491.410, unless the lien is released, the judgment recovered in the action or special proceeding in favor of the defendant may not be enforced by a writ or otherwise, and no compromise, dismissal, settlement, or satisfaction of the pending action or special proceeding or the judgment procured therein may be entered into by or on behalf of the defendant, without the written consent of the plaintiff or authorization by order of the court obtained under subdivision (b). (b) Upon application by the defendant, the court in which the action or special proceeding subject to the lien under this article is pending or the judgment procured therein is entered may, in its discretion, after a hearing, make an order described in subdivision (a) that may include such terms and conditions as the court deems necessary. The application for an order under this subdivision shall be made on noticed motion. The notice of motion shall be served on the plaintiff.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 491.450. Section 491.450.

(a) If a lien is created pursuant to this article, the court clerk shall endorse upon the judgment recovered in the action or special proceeding a statement of the existence of the lien and the time it was created. (b) Any abstract issued upon the judgment shall include a statement of the lien in favor of the plaintiff.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 491.460. Section 491.460.

(a) If the defendant is entitled to money or property under the judgment in the action or special proceeding and a lien created under this article exists, upon application of any party to the action or special proceeding, the court may order that the defendant’s rights to money or property under the judgment be attached or otherwise applied to the satisfaction of the lien created under this article as ordered by the court. Application for an order under this section shall be on noticed motion. The notice of motion shall be served on all other parties. (b) If the judgment determines that the defendant has an interest in property, the court may order the party having custody or control of the property not to transfer the property until it can be attached or otherwise applied to the satisfaction of the lien created under this article. (c) If the court determines that a party (other than the defendant) having notice of the lien created under this article has transferred property that was subject to the lien, or has paid an amount to the defendant that was subject to the lien, the court shall render judgment against the party in an amount equal to the lesser of the following: (1) The value of the defendant’s interest in the property or the amount paid to the defendant. (2) The amount of the plaintiff’s lien created under this article. (d) A judgment or order under this section may be enforced in the same manner as it could be enforced if it had been obtained by the defendant against the third party; but, prior to entry of judgment in favor of the plaintiff against the defendant, any money or property obtained in enforcing the judgment or order against the third party shall be paid or delivered into court to abide the judgment in the action of the plaintiff against the defendant or shall be held by a levying officer, or otherwise held, as ordered by the court.

Cal. Code of Civil Procedure - CCP § 491.470. Section 491.470.

(a) If a lien is created under this article, the defendant may claim that all or any portion of the money or property that the defendant may recover in the action or special proceeding is exempt from attachment. The claim shall be made by application on noticed motion to the court in which the action or special proceeding is pending, filed, and served on the plaintiff not later than 30 days after the defendant has notice of the creation of lien. The defendant shall execute an affidavit in support of the application that includes the matters set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 484.070. No notice of opposition to the claim of exemption is required. The failure of the defendant to make a claim of exemption under this section constitutes a waiver of the exemption. (b) The court may determine the exemption claim at any time prior to the entry of judgment in the action or special proceeding or may consolidate the exemption hearing with the hearing on a motion pursuant to Section 491.460. (c) If the defendant establishes to the satisfaction of the court that the money or property that the defendant may recover in the action or special proceeding is all or partially exempt from attachment, the court shall order the termination of the lien created under this article on the exempt portion of the money or property.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026