Article 3. Notices Of Levy of California Unemployment Insurance Code >> Division 1. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 7. >> Article 3.

(a) If any person or employing unit is delinquent in the payment of any contributions, penalties, or interest provided for in this division, the director may, not later than three years after the payment became delinquent or within 10 years after the last entry of a judgment under Article 5 (commencing with Section 1815) or within 10 years after the last recording or filing of a notice of state tax lien under Section 7171 of the Government Code, collect the delinquency or enforce any liens by levy served either personally or by first-class mail, to all persons having in their possession or under their control any credits or personal property belonging to the delinquent person or employing unit, or owing any debts to the person or employing unit at the time of the receipt of the notice of levy or coming into their possession or under their control for the period of one year from the time of receipt of the notice of levy. Any person upon whom a levy has been served having in his or her possession or under his or her control any credits or personal property belonging to the delinquent person or employing unit or owing any debts to the person or employing unit at the time of the receipt of the levy or coming into his or her possession or under his or her control for the period of one year from the time of receipt of the notice of levy, shall surrender the credits or personal property to the director or pay to the director the amount of any debt owing the delinquent employer within five days of service of the levy, and shall surrender the credits or personal property, or the amount of any debt owing to the delinquent employer coming into his or her possession or under his or her control within one year of receipt of the notice of levy within five days of the date of coming into possession or control of the credits or personal property, or the amount of any debt owing to the delinquent employer is incurred. Any person in possession of any credits or personal property or owing any debts to the delinquent person or employing unit who surrenders the credits or personal property or pays the debts owing the delinquent person or employing unit shall be discharged from any obligation or liability to the delinquent person or employing unit with respect to the credits or personal property surrendered or debts paid to the director.
  (b) (1) If the levy is made on a deposit or credits or personal property in the possession or under the control of a financial institution, the notice of levy shall be served on that financial institution at the same location as legal process is required to be served pursuant to Section 684.115 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and the levy will apply to all credits or personal property in the deposit account only at the time that notice of levy is received by the financial institution.
  (2) For purposes of this section:
  (A) "Deposit account" has the same meaning as in paragraph (29) of subdivision (a) of Section 9102 of the Commercial Code.
  (B) "Financial institution" has the same meaning as in Section 481.113 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
  (C) "Legal process" has the same meaning as in Section 482.070 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(a) In order to implement Section 1755, the department may serve notice to an address for any financial institution, as defined in Section 481.113 of the Code of Civil Procedure, by means of magnetic media, electronic transmission, or other electronic technology.
  (b) For purposes of this section, the term "address" shall mean a telephone or modem number, facsimile machine, or any other reference number designated by the financial institution to receive data by electronic means.

Notices of levy to the state, pursuant to Section 1755, shall be given to the state department, board, office or commission prior to the time it presents the claim of the person or employing unit to the State Controller.

Any person notified pursuant to Section 1755 or 1755.1 who fails or refuses to surrender any credits or other personal property, or pay any debts owing to the delinquent employer, up to the amount specified in the levy, shall be liable in his or her own person and estate to the director in an amount equal to the value of the credits or other personal property in the amount of the debt, but not exceeding the amount specified in the notice of levy, if solely by reason of such failure or refusal, the department is unable to recover the contributions, penalties, or interest owing by the person with respect to which the notice was given.

As used in this article "person" includes this State and any county, city and county, municipality, district or other political subdivision thereof.