Turnover Order

Requesting a Turnover Order

If there is nonexempt property that a creditor cannot obtain through any of the other collection methods, they can file for a turnover order. In a turnover order the Court may:

order the debtor to deliver the property to the sheriff or constable to sell at auction to satisfy the judgment
apply the property to satisfy the judgment
appoint a receiver to take possession of the property to sell in order to satisfy the judgment

Texas Law

Section 31.002 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code
State law governing the collection of a judgment through a turnover proceeding in court.
Section 31.010 of the Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code
State law governing turnover proceedings against a financial institution in order to turn over property related to the debtor.

Court Rules

Rule 679a of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure
Court rule governing turnover orders issued by the court.

Understanding the Law

Civil Deskbook
Created by the Texas Justice Court Training Center, this deskbook covers procedure in civil cases in justice court. Chapter 10, Section H discusses turnover orders.
Turnover Receivers and Debt Collection
An article from TexasLawHelp.org that discusses how turnover receivers can be appointed by the court to help a creditor collect on a debt.
Turnover Proceedings
A 2019 publication from a private law firm on the steps in a turnover proceeding.
Turnover Orders from the Consumer's Perspective
Written with the debtor in mind, this article from the Journal of Consumer & Commercial Law provides a general overview of the Texas law as well as the steps in the turnover process.

E-Books from the Texas State Law Library

You can borrow the e-books below with your library account. Don't have a library account? Texas residents can register for a library account online! Learn more about how to register online .

Texas collections manual [electronic resource]
This manual walks readers through the entire process of debt collection as well as provides templates for commonly used legal forms. Topics covered include finding debtor and debtor’s assets, repossession, postjudgment remedies and liens, bankruptcy, as well as trial procedure.
Judgment enforcement
From Wolters-Kluwer, this comprehensive guide on judgment enforcement in the United States covers discovery through execution with a chapter dedicated to debt collection in Texas.

Books at the Texas State Law Library

These print books are not available online. They are available at the Texas State Law Library in Austin. If you can't visit the library in person, these books might be available at a law library near you or a public library near you.

How to collect your own judgment in Texas [print book]
Geared towards pro se individuals, this guide is a "plain English" explanation to the process of collecting a judgment in Texas.
The Texas judgment debtor handbook [print book]
For those who owe a debt, this guide is a "plain English" explanation on what a creditor can and cannot do to collect a judgment in Texas.
Texas litigation guide [print book]
This comprehensive set provides the reader with a legal overview on a given topic, procedural guide for parties filing in court and templates for commonly used legal forms.