How To Collect My Judgment

What if you won your lawsuit and have been awarded a civil money judgment, how do you recover the judgment? This article is a brief outline, with a simple overview of some common procedures to collect a judgment.

The first thing to verify is, whether a judgment is enforceable or not. If the judgment is either voidable or void, due to a problem with the proof of service, or the lawsuit, or judgment; that should be resolved before you attempt to recover judgments.

The next thing to check is, did the judgment debtor ever file for bankruptcy protection after you got your judgment. If they did, it is very likely the judgment was wiped out in the bankruptcy proceeding.

Next, almost every judgment expires after a certain amount of time, usually five to twenty years. If the judgment is old, it's a good idea to confirm whether or not it has expired. If the old judgment is still good, it may be a good idea to renew it.

Next, can the your debtor be found? Does the debtor have any available assets? You must find this out, or pay someone to determine this, to be able to recover anything. To recover a judgment, you must locate the judgment debtor's assets, and determine their status, to check for any possible judgment debtor exemptions that may be claimed on them.

If your judgment debtor owns, or may someday own, any interest in real estate property, record your judgment in the county property records department, sometimes called the county recorder. Recording a judgment or an abstract of judgment, creates a property lien which may one day get you paid.

Record a lien in each county where the debtor owns, or might someday own, any interest in real estate property. Record a lien in the county where they live now, and the county where their parents own property, in case your debtor inherits the property some day. Some states have state-wide lines on property.

Post-judgment discovery methods can be very helpful when trying to enforce a judgment. every court and jurisdiction has unique rules about which discovery methods are allowed. Sometimes, after being commanded to go to court for a judgment debtor exam, the debtor might start paying you.

With sufficient info on your judgment debtor and their assets, it's possible to levy or garnish their assets. These are some methods that can really get (at least partially) paid for your judgment. When examinations and levies don't mostly or fully satisfy the judgment; wait a year, then regroup, and try until the judgment is satisfied.

After most or all of your judgment has been collected, file a Satisfaction of Judgment form with the clerk of the court. Most often this form must be notarized first. After the court stamps your satisfaction, make a copy of it, and mail the original to the former judgment debtor.

http://www.JudgmentBuy.com - Judgment Enforcement. The free, easiest, fastest, and best way to get the best chance to get money for a judgment. Mark Shapiro, an expert on judgments. We have the best quality free judgment referral leads for judgment buyers, collection agencies, enforcers, and contingency collection lawyers.

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