Your Judgment Means Nothing Until Someone Collects It
A court-issued writ of execution gives us the legal authority to walk into a debtor’s business and take cash from the register — right now, across all five boroughs. We’re not sending a letter. We’re showing up with court authority and leaving with whatever cash is present.
Why Creditors Choose NYC Marshal Edward Guida
Appointed by the Mayor
Edward F. Guida Jr. holds Badge #14 — a mayoral appointment, not a business license. That distinction gives us enforcement authority no collection agency has.
Operating Since 1988
Our office has enforced NYC judgments for over 35 years. Edward Jr. trained under his father in the field before being formally appointed marshal in 2016.
All Five Boroughs Covered
Our authority doesn’t stop at the borough line. We execute till taps in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island from a single point of contact.
DOI-Regulated and Accountable
We operate under dual oversight from the NYC Department of Investigation and the Mayor’s Committee on NYC Marshals — regulated at the highest level of local government.
NYC Marshal Till Tap Explained
Cash in the Register Is Cash We Can Reach
A till tap is the direct seizure of money from a business’s cash register by a court-authorized enforcement officer. It’s not a demand letter. It’s not a phone call. It’s a marshal walking through the door with a court-issued writ of execution and leaving with whatever cash is present at that moment.
This is one of the most immediate enforcement tools available to a judgment creditor in New York. Unlike a bank levy — which freezes funds and then requires a waiting period before release — a till tap on physical cash is direct. No bank. No delay on the cash itself.
If the person or business that owes you money operates with a cash register — a restaurant in Flatbush, a bodega on Fordham Road, a salon on Roosevelt Avenue, a contractor in Staten Island — this is the enforcement tool that actually reaches them.
Business Cash Seizure, NYC
What a Till Tap Actually Gets You
When letters fail and phone calls go unanswered, a marshal with a writ of execution changes the conversation entirely.
- You convert a paper judgment into real money — without waiting on a bank’s timeline or a debtor’s cooperation.
- Our incentive is aligned with yours: we collect 5% poundage only on money we actually recover, so we’re motivated to succeed.
- You can layer a till tap with a bank levy or income execution simultaneously, leaving the debtor no easy escape route.
- You deal with one office that covers all five boroughs — no need to find a different marshal depending on where the debtor’s business is located.
- You get enforcement backed by court authority, not a collection agency’s strongly worded letter that a debtor can legally ignore.
- You work with a team that has done this for decades — including staff who worked under Edward F. Guida Sr. long before Edward Jr. took the appointment.
Marshal Till Tap vs. Collection Agency
A Collection Agency Cannot Do What We Do
This is the part most creditors don’t know until they’ve already wasted time and money. A collection agency — no matter how aggressive — has no legal authority to physically seize property. They can call. They can send letters. They can report to credit bureaus. But they cannot walk into a business and take cash from a register.
Only a court-appointed enforcement officer holding a writ of execution can do that. As a mayoral-appointed NYC Marshal, Edward F. Guida Jr. holds that authority. When a judgment has been entered by the NYC Civil Court or the New York State Supreme Court, we can act on it directly. We don’t need the debtor’s cooperation. We don’t need them to answer the phone.
We show up with the legal instrument that authorizes us to act — and we do. That’s the difference. Not effort. Not persistence. Legal authority that a collection agency simply doesn’t have.
Collect from Cash Register, New York
Timing a Till Tap Is Part of the Strategy
Cash in a register doesn’t stay there. A debtor who senses enforcement is coming can spend down their balance, move money, or simply run a light day. This is why timing matters — and why experience matters even more.
Our office has been doing this since 1988 across every commercial corridor in New York City. We know the rhythms of cash-heavy businesses. We know that a restaurant on a Friday afternoon looks different than a Monday morning. We know that a Flushing retail shop on Main Street and a Bronx service business on Tremont Avenue operate differently, and we factor that in.
If a till tap comes up short on its own, it doesn’t have to be the end. We can combine it with other enforcement tools — a bank levy, an income execution — to pursue the judgment from multiple angles at once. One execution doesn’t close the door on others.
Till Tap Judgment Process, NYC
From Court Judgment to Cash in Hand
Bring Us Your Judgment
Contact our office with your money judgment from NYC Civil Court, Supreme Court, or Family Court. We’ll confirm jurisdiction and walk you through what’s needed to proceed.
We Obtain the Writ
We secure a writ of execution from the court — the legal instrument that authorizes us to levy on the debtor’s property, including cash in their register.
We Execute the Till Tap
We go to the debtor’s business location, seize the cash present at the time of execution, and remit it to you — with full documentation of everything collected.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is a till tap and how does it work in New York?
A till tap is the direct, physical seizure of cash from a business’s cash register by a court-authorized enforcement officer. In New York, it falls under property execution — governed by CPLR § 5232 — which authorizes a marshal to levy on personal property “capable of delivery,” which includes cash on hand. Once we have a court-issued writ of execution, we go to the debtor’s place of business and seize whatever cash is present at that moment. There’s no negotiation with the debtor, no waiting for them to respond. The court has already ruled. We’re there to carry out the enforcement.
Can a marshal really just walk into a business and take money from the register?
Yes — with the right legal instrument in hand. A writ of execution issued by the NYC Civil Court or the New York State Supreme Court authorizes a NYC Marshal to levy on the debtor’s property, including cash. This isn’t a debt collector making demands. It’s a court-appointed enforcement officer acting under statutory authority. The business owner cannot simply refuse. If they obstruct the execution, that creates additional legal exposure for them. The authority comes from the court, not from us personally — we’re carrying out what the court has already ordered.
What if the register is empty when the marshal arrives at the business?
It happens, and it doesn’t mean enforcement is over. A till tap seizes what’s present at the time of execution. If the register is light on a given day, that single attempt doesn’t exhaust your options. We can advise on timing to improve the likelihood of a meaningful seizure — cash-heavy businesses across the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens in neighborhoods like Flushing, Flatbush, and along Fordham Road tend to have predictable cash flow patterns that an experienced marshal can factor in. We can also pursue the judgment through other enforcement tools simultaneously, including a bank levy or income execution, so the debtor isn’t left with an easy out.
What’s the difference between a till tap and a bank levy in New York?
A bank levy freezes funds in a debtor’s bank account and then requires a holding period before those funds can be released to the creditor — under New York’s Exempt Income Protection Act (EIPA), banks must hold restrained funds for 27 days before releasing them, during which the debtor can raise exemption claims. A till tap targets physical cash at the business premises directly. There’s no bank involved, no waiting period on the cash component, and no exemption claim process for business cash in a register. For creditors dealing with cash-operating businesses — restaurants, bodegas, salons, contractors — a till tap often reaches money that a bank levy simply can’t.
Does a NYC marshal have authority to do a till tap in every borough?
Yes. A NYC Marshal’s authority is not limited to the borough where the office is located. Our office is based in Corona, Queens, but we execute till taps across all five boroughs — the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Whether the judgment debtor’s business is on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, Canal Street in Manhattan, Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island, or Jamaica Avenue in Queens, we have the authority and the experience to act. You don’t need to find a different marshal for each borough. One office handles all of it.
What do I need to bring to get started with a till tap through your office?
The core requirement is a money judgment — entered by a court with jurisdiction in New York City, such as the NYC Civil Court (Bronx County, Kings County, New York County, Queens County, or Richmond County), the New York State Supreme Court, or Family Court. From there, we obtain the writ of execution that authorizes the levy. It helps to have as much information as possible about the debtor’s business — location, type of business, operating hours — because that information directly affects how we approach the execution and when we move. Call our office at (718) 779-2134 or email guidajr@nycmarshal14.com to get started. We’ll tell you exactly what we need and what to expect.
Call us at (718) 779-2134 or email us at guidajr@nycmarshal14.com to see how we can help you.