Your deadline
There is no fixed number of days between a judgment for possession and the lockout. The landlord can apply for the writ of possession as soon as the judgment is entered, and once the sheriff posts the notice to vacate you have 5 days before the lockout. Requests to set aside a default, to stay the eviction, or to appeal all have their own short windows. If you are holding a UD-110, call today.
- Form
- UD-110
- Official name
- Judgment, Unlawful Detainer
- Who gives it to you
- Entered by the court after a default, a trial, or a stipulation, and mailed to you
- The clock it starts
- The writ can issue immediately; the sheriff's notice gives 5 days before lockout
- Version shown here
- Rev. January 1, 2024, optional form
What to do if you are served a UD-110
- Find out how the judgment was entered. Item 3 of the form says whether it was after a default, after a trial, or by stipulation. A default judgment can sometimes be set aside; a stipulated judgment often has conditions you can still meet.
- Read exactly what was awarded. Item 5 lists possession, past due rent, holdover damages, attorney fees, and costs. Check the numbers against the complaint and your own records.
- Check for a stay or conditions. Some judgments include a date by which you must leave, or conditions under which the judgment will not be enforced. Those terms control what the sheriff can do and when.
- Call before the writ issues. The options after judgment, a motion to set aside a default, a request for a stay of execution, a settlement, or an appeal, all get harder once the writ is with the sheriff. Act the day the judgment arrives.
The UD-110, Judgment, Unlawful Detainer, is the court’s decision in an eviction case written on a form. If one arrives in your mail, or a copy is handed to you at the end of a hearing, the case has been decided and the next document in the sequence is the writ. What you can still do depends on how the judgment was entered and how fast you act.
Reading the form
The judgment states the parties and the case number, then explains itself in numbered items:
- How it was entered. After a default because no answer was filed, after a trial by the court or a jury, or by stipulation, meaning an agreement between the parties that the court adopted.
- Who won. Judgment for the plaintiff, the landlord, or for the defendant, the tenant.
- What was awarded. Possession of the premises, past due rent, holdover damages calculated per day from the notice expiration, attorney fees where the lease allows them, and court costs.
- Conditions. Some judgments, especially stipulated ones, set a move-out date or provide that the judgment will not be enforced if the tenant meets certain terms. Those terms control everything that follows.
What happens next
If the landlord was awarded possession, the landlord applies to the clerk for a EJ-130 writ of possession and delivers it to the sheriff. The sheriff posts a notice to vacate at the property giving the occupants 5 days, then returns to complete the lockout. In practice the time between a judgment and the sheriff at the door can be under two weeks, and nothing in the process waits for you to receive the judgment in the mail.
The options that still exist
Setting aside a default. If the judgment was entered because no answer was filed, a motion to set it aside can be made on grounds such as mistake, surprise, excusable neglect, or improper service of the summons. It has to be filed promptly and it has to include the answer you would have filed.
Stay of execution. A request asking the court to postpone the lockout, typically for a limited period and often on condition that rent is paid for the extra days. This is the emergency option people reach for when the sheriff’s notice is already on the door.
Settlement. A judgment does not stop the parties from agreeing to a later move-out date in exchange for the landlord holding the writ. Landlords agree to this more often than people expect, because a scheduled move-out is cheaper than a sheriff lockout.
Appeal. Available, but on a short deadline, and an appeal by itself does not stop the writ; a separate stay must be requested.
Every one of these gets harder once the writ is with the sheriff. If you are holding a UD-110, the right day to call is the day it arrives.
Frequently asked questions
What is a UD-110 form?
The UD-110 is the Judgment, Unlawful Detainer, the court's written decision in a California eviction case. It states who won, whether the landlord is entitled to possession, and how much money, if any, was awarded for rent, damages, fees, and costs.
What happens after a UD-110 judgment?
If the landlord won possession, the landlord asks the clerk for a writ of possession, form EJ-130, and delivers it to the sheriff. The sheriff posts a notice to vacate giving the occupants 5 days, then returns to carry out the lockout. The time between judgment and lockout is often less than two weeks.
Can a UD-110 default judgment be set aside?
Sometimes. If the judgment was entered because no answer was filed, a motion to set aside the default can be brought on grounds such as mistake, surprise, excusable neglect, or improper service. The motion has to be filed promptly and supported with a proposed answer.
Can I stop the lockout after a UD-110?
A request for a stay of execution asks the court to postpone the sheriff's lockout, usually for a limited time and often on conditions such as paying rent for the extra days. Timing decides everything; once the sheriff completes the lockout there is very little left to undo.
How long do I have to appeal an eviction judgment?
Appeal deadlines in unlawful detainer cases are short and depend on when notice of the judgment was served. An appeal does not automatically stop the lockout; a separate stay has to be requested. Call as soon as the judgment arrives so the options can be reviewed while they still exist.
This website provides general information about the California eviction process and is not legal advice. Court forms are reproduced from the Judicial Council of California; confirm you are using the current revision before filing.