TILL TAPS & KEEPER LEVIES
For judgment debtors operating consumer-facing businesses, till taps and keeper levies are among the most direct and disruptive enforcement tools available under California law.
Till taps and keeper levies are particularly effective when a judgment debtor continues operating a public-facing business while refusing to satisfy a valid judgment. Unlike traditional collection tools that rely on identifying bank accounts or employment relationships, these remedies target revenue at the point it is generated, creating immediate financial pressure.
Under CCP § 700.070(c), a judgment creditor may instruct the levying officer to conduct a till tap, allowing the sheriff to enter the debtor’s place of business and seize cash and cash equivalents present in the register at that moment. In appropriate cases, the creditor may also request a keeper levy, in which the sheriff places a keeper at the business location for a defined period to collect incoming receipts directly from customers and business operations.
When used alongside bank levies, judgment debtor examinations, and assignment orders, these remedies can significantly disrupt a debtor’s revenue stream. Strategic coordination of enforcement tools often creates the leverage necessary to bring a non-compliant debtor to the negotiating table and resolve the judgment.