A motion to release property is a pleading asking a judge to issue a ruling that will result in the release of property or a person from custody. When property is held in custody, a motion to release must be filed in order to get it back. There are a number of situations where this may become necessary. These can include cases where property is confiscated and the cause of the confiscation is later deemed spurious, as well as situations where people deposit money with a court as surety in a case or in response to a court order. For example, someone brought to small claims court and sued for back rent might write a check to the court for the amount owed, and the landlord would need to file a motion to release for the court to give him the money.