penhora

Compulsory seizure of property for a debt: a bank account, part of a salary or pension, a car, a flat. It is ordered by the tax office as part of an execução fiscal or by an agente de execução following a court decision. Under Article 738 of the Code of Civil Procedure, two thirds of net salary cannot be touched, and if there is no other income, at least one salário mínimo nacional remains protected. A seizure of property shows up on the land registry extract, which is exactly why people order one before buying.