The warning is the first document a debtor is supposed to receive after an execution file has been opened against them. It gives notice of the file, the amount and the deadline to act. What happens in the 30 days after it often determines the rest of the file.
In the case described on this site, three types of proceedings were opened against one customer: over the car loan, a pledge enforcement file by Mizrahi Tefahot Leasing was opened in June 2024 and a promissory note enforcement file in December 2024, and in February 2026 Mizrahi Tefahot Bank itself filed a claim over the current account (details in the article on the early repayment). Each type has its own rules.
In brief
- Check in the warning what type of file was opened: judgment, bill, liquidated claim or pledge.
- In a bill file and a liquidated claim file, according to Kol Zchut, you have 30 days from service of the warning to file an objection.
- An objection filed on time stays the collection proceedings. A late objection requires a motion to extend time and a motion to stay proceedings.
- Check in the file when and how service was reported. The deadline is counted from it.
- Ask for a full breakdown of the debt before you pay, object or agree to installments.
- Keep every letter, email and call with the bank and with the collection firm, with the date.
Step 1: Which file was opened against you
Bill file. Opened on the basis of a promissory note or a cheque, without a judgment. In the case on this site, a promissory note was signed as security for the car loan. The way to object is an objection to the execution of the bill.
Liquidated claim. A monetary claim filed directly with the Execution Office instead of with the court. According to Kol Zchut, the ceiling is NIS 75,000. Here too, the route is an objection.
Judgment file. Opened after a court has already ruled. There is no objection on the merits of the debt, but you can argue that the debt was paid (a "pra'ati", or "I have paid", claim), request a payment order and check the calculation of the amount.
Pledge enforcement file. Opened when the debt is secured by an asset, for example a pledged car. In such a file a receiver may be appointed for the asset. In the case on this site, a receiver was appointed for the car ex parte (Mizrahi Tefahot's collection proceedings).
Step 2: The deadline, and from which day it is counted
According to the Kol Zchut guides, an objection to the execution of a bill and an objection to a liquidated claim are filed within 30 days from service of the warning. An objection filed on time stays the execution of the proceedings, and the file moves to the court. The binding deadline in the file appears in the warning, and in case of doubt it is worth checking with the Execution Office rather than waiting.
Anyone who expects not to make it in time can, according to Kol Zchut, notify the Execution Office before the deadline expires, with a request that sets out the reasons. Anyone who is already late files, together with the objection, a motion to extend time, with an affidavit, and a motion to stay proceedings.
Step 3: Check the service
The deadline is counted from the day the warning was served, so it is important to know exactly what was reported: on what date, at what address, and in what way, for example personal delivery, posting on the door or delivery to a family member. You can see this in the file, in the personal area on the Enforcement and Collection Authority website.
An incorrect service report is not a theoretical scenario. In the case on this site, a restriction on leaving the country was cancelled when it was found that the customer was abroad on the day of the reported service (the article on the exit stay). On the general phenomenon, see false service reports and "sewer service" in Israel.
Step 4: Check the amount of the debt
The debt balance in the file is the creditor's calculation, not a court's finding. Ask in writing for a breakdown of principal, interest, linkage, legal fees and expenses, and compare it with the contract, the note and the account ledger. In the case on this site, two files over the same loan showed different balances (how do you know how much you really owe).
Step 5: Choose your step
According to the Kol Zchut guide for debtors in a liquidated claim file, the main options are:
- An objection, for anyone who does not admit the debt or its amount.
- A "pra'ati" ("I have paid") claim, for anyone who paid all or part of the debt. According to Kol Zchut, anyone who files it within 30 days is exempt from appearing for a means examination.
- Paying and closing the file. According to Kol Zchut, payment within 30 days blocks collection proceedings such as attachments and a stay of exit from the country.
- A motion for a payment order, for anyone who admits the debt and cannot pay it all at once.
- Consolidation of files, when there is more than one file.
Step 6: Document everything
Keep every contact with the bank and with the collection firm, with the date and time. In the case on this site, the emails in which the customer asked to pay off the loan, weeks before the proceedings were opened against him, are the main evidence that he asked to repay (the article on the early repayment). Anyone who is abroad should also keep records of departure and entry dates.
It is also worth checking whether courts have already decided a similar matter. The database of court rulings against Mizrahi Tefahot Bank includes, among others, a settlement in which the bank undertook to align debt balances in execution files, and a settlement on small business classification.
This guide is based on the Kol Zchut guides, on the Enforcement and Collection Authority's guide for debtors, and on the documents in the case described on this site. It is general information and not legal advice. The binding deadlines are those in the law and in the warning you received. It is recommended to consult a lawyer, and you can also check with the Enforcement and Collection Authority call center, *35592.
Frequently asked questions about an execution warning
How long do you have to file an objection to a Mizrahi Tefahot execution file?
In a bill file and a liquidated claim file, according to the Kol Zchut guides, 30 days from service of the warning. An objection filed on time stays the collection proceedings, and the hearing moves to the court. The binding deadline in your file appears in the warning itself.
What do you do if the 30 days have passed?
You can still file an objection, but it does not stay the proceedings by itself. According to Kol Zchut, you file together with it a motion to extend time, with an affidavit explaining the delay, and a motion to stay proceedings.
I never received a warning, and suddenly there is an attachment. What does that mean?
Service may have been reported in the file that never reached you. Check in the file, in the personal area, what was reported, when, where and in what way. The deadline to object is counted from service of the warning, so the question of service is sometimes the important question in the file.
How do you know how much you really owe?
Do not rely only on the debt balance in the file. Ask the creditor, in writing, for a breakdown of principal, interest, linkage, legal fees and expenses, and compare it with the contract, the note and the account ledger. In the case described on this site, discrepancies were found between the balances in two files over the same loan.
Can the debt be paid in installments?
Yes. According to Kol Zchut, anyone who admits the debt can file a motion for a payment order, and filing within 30 days of receiving the warning may prevent restrictions such as attachments and a stay of exit from the country.