subject: California Judgments: How California Collection Laws Affect A California Judgment [print this page] You may go to court and the judge rules in your favor, awarding you with a California judgement. However, you may never see a penny of it as about 80% of all judgments never get collected. The courts have the power to award a judgment but the recipient is responsible for enforcing it, often with little guidance.
Using California Collection Laws to Your Advantage
Collecting California judgments can be the most difficult part of winning a lawsuit. Even if you win a judgment, a debtor may still refuse to pay you. This is when a lot of people give up, leading to that 80% statistic. Most people know little about California collection laws and how to use them to their advantage.
Over 160 years ago, California adopted a body of laws centered on enforcing California judgments, known as the Practice Act of 1851. These evolved into the Enforcement of Judgment Laws (EJL) of today. These California collection laws provide aggressive remedies for enforcing judgments legally and effectively.
In California, judgments are enforceable for 10 years. They can be extended by petitioning the court prior to expiration. But do you really expect to wait 10 years to see your money?
California Collection Agencies Help Recover California Judgments
There are collection agencies that understand how to use these California collection laws to recover your California judgement. A collection agency has the capability to use legal methods to enforce an order, as well as track down and pursue the debtor. They can legally seize bank accounts and other assets to satisfy the California judgement.
There are many advantages of using a collection agency to recover California judgments.
Access to restrictive databases used by law enforcement
Using a collection agency to recover your California judgement shouldnt cost you a penny. Collection agencies specializing in California judgments typically work on a contingency basis and do not charge any fees or upfront costs. They only take the contingency if money is recovered.
You may find yourself holding a California judgment slip with and debtor who still wont pay up. This is when a reputable collection agency may be your best choice for recovering your money. Results vary, but most results can happen in as quickly as two to three months. In more challenging cases, it may take up to a few years.
