Daily AncestorFieri facias
Fieri facias, usually written fi. fa., is a writ ordering the sheriff to seize and sell a debtor's property to pay a court judgment.
The Latin means "that you cause to be made," that is, cause the money to be raised. After a creditor won a judgment, the court issued a fi. fa. and the sheriff seized the debtor's property and sold it to pay the debt.
The abbreviation fi. fa. is common in court records and sheriff's sale notices. A string of fi. fas. against one person points to debts he could not pay.
As seen in a recordSheriff's sale notice in a newspaper, 1800s
Levied on 100 acres, the property of Saml. Ross, to satisfy a fi. fa. in favor of Wm. Bell
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Daily Ancestor. "Fieri facias." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/fieri-facias. Last checked 2026-10-12.