Civil Division

Jefferson County Civil Division

The Civil Division of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is located in the lobby of the Jefferson County Law Center.  The Civil Clerks perform all the civil and administrative functions at the Sheriff’s Office.  The Civil Clerks process over one thousand civil cases annually.  Civil processes include but are not limited to; subpoenas, court orders, execution of writs, original notices, garnishments, Sheriff’s levies, Sheriff’s sales and involuntary commitment orders, No Contact Orders, and much more.

The Civil Office hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday with the exception of County recognized holidays.

The set fees for civil process services are determined by Iowa Code and are dependent upon the type of civil process being served and the amount of attempts that were necessary to serve the document.

Garnishments

A garnishment is a legal proceeding taken by a creditor after a judgement is awarded from a court against a debtor. If the creditor knows that the debtor has money, or property, in the hand of a third party (wages owed by the debtor’s employer, funds in a bank account, etc.), the creditor may have a garnishment served to recover funds owed on the debt. Iowa Code 642 governs the amount allowed to be withheld.

• The actual fees for service are added to the amount of the judgement to be garnished. The execution must be issued and delivered/mailed by the Sheriff’s Office with Garnishment Directions for Service (PDF).
• Garnishments expire 120 days from the date it was issued by the Clerk of Court.
• The Sheriff’s Office will require the last known address for the defendant, since for all non-wage garnishment a notice of garnishment is required to be mailed by restricted certified mail, as well as one copy by first class mail.

Eviction Procedures

All evictions within Jefferson County are handled by the Sheriff’s Office. This is a numerous step process which involves the removal and/or recovery of personal property. The landlord(s) reason for the eviction determines the process.

Iowa Code 562A (PDF) outlines the eviction process.

Forcible Entry and Detainer must be served by a disinterested third party that follows Iowa Code 648 (PDF) .

Landlords are responsible for supplying the labor needed at the eviction.  To schedule a Writ of Possession/Eviction you will need to come to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office between 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.  Evictions will be scheduled Monday-Friday during daylight hours on a case-by-case basis.