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Collecting a Small Claims Court Judgment in California

Camila Lopez - Judgment Collection - September 5, 2024

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You won your California small claims court case, now, how can you collect the judgment in a California small claims court? If the Judgment Debtor (the person who lost the case) does not pay you, you can take their wages, cars, property, rental income, etc. You have 10 years to collect the judgment (and can renew that time period for another 10 years). Read on to learn how to collect on your small claims court lawsuit.

In this article, learn about:

  • Small Claims Court Terminology (Judgment Creditor, Judgment Debtor).

  • What to do If the Judgment Debtor fails to pay

  • How to Figure out what assets the Judgment Debtor has

  • How long does a judgment debtor have to pay a California small claims court judgment?

Terminology
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  • The person who wins the lawsuit and is owed money becomes the Judgment Creditor.

  • The person who loses the lawsuit and owes money becomes the Judgment Debtor.

Wait 30 days from Entry of Judgment
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Why? During those 30 days after the entry of judgment, the Judgment Debtor may:

What If the Judgment Debtor pays you?
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What to do If the Judgment Debtor fails to pay
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If the Judgment Debtor did not take any of the steps above within 30 days of the entry of judgment, now what?

Step 1: Ask the Judgment Debtor to Pay You.

You want to start by simply asking the Judgment Debtor to pay you. Write a letter to the Judgment Debtor requesting payment after 30 days of the entry of Judgment. You ideally want to do this in the form of a letter so that you can keep it for your records. In the letter, you should:

  • include the amount of the court's judgment;

  • include where the Judgment Debtor should send you payment (ideally using a check just in case you need to trace this information later);

  • remind the Judgment Debtor that if they don't pay you, their wages, money, and property may be taken away to pay the claim;

  • remind the Judgment Debtor that interest can be charged for every day they delay paying you;

  • include a deadline for payment and if they don't meet that deadline you will take further action to collect on the judgment;

  • offer a payment plan if you feel that it would be easier for them to pay you that way;  

  • remind the Judgment Debtor that if they don't want to pay you directly, they can pay the court (and you would later collect from the court).

You will find that most collections disputes will be sorted out by simply requesting the Judgment Debtor to pay.

Step 2: Figure out what assets the Judgment Debtor has.

If the letter requesting payment of the judgment does not work, now what? You need to figure out what assets the Judgment Debtor has. If you already know this, skip to Step 3.

Judgment Debtor's Statement of Assets

First off, within 30 days of mailing entry of judgment (or if the court handed it to the Judgment Debtor in the courtroom, the count 30 days from that day), the Judgment Debtor was supposed to send you a form called Judgment Debtor's Statement of Assets (Form SC-133). This form outlines the Judgment Debtor's assets that can be used for collection.

However, very often, Judgment Debtors fail to send the Judgment Debtor's Statement of Assets (Form SC-133).  If the Judgment Debtor does not send you that form, you can request that they pay you attorney fees and other penalties for failing to return that form.

Next, if the Judgment Debtor does not send you Judgment Debtor's Statement of Assets, you will need to file an Application and Order to Produce Statement of Assets and to Appear for Examination (Form SC-134). This form will require the Judgment Debtor to return to court and provide Judgment Debtor's Statement of Assets. If Judgment Debtor does not show up a warrant may be issued for their arrest.

Note: It is highly suggested you fill out, file, and serve and Small Claims Subpoena for Personal Appearance and Production of Documents at Trial or Hearing and Declaration (Form SC-107) which, if granted, will order the Judgment Debtor to bring documents to the hearing such as bank statements.

Step 3: Seize the Judgment Debtor's Assets.

Once you know which assets the Judgment Debtor has, you can work on seizing the assets. Stay posted for an article on this topic!

FAQ
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How long does a judgment debtor have to pay a California small claims court judgment?

  • In California small claims court, if the party who lost the case (“Judgment Debtor”) does not pay within 30 days from when the judgment was mailed to the parties (sometimes it gets handed directly to parties during the hearing), then the collection process begins.

  • Once the collection process begins, additional costs are incurred by the Judgment Creditor which can be added to the judgment. Ideally, a Judgment Debtor should pay before the collections process begins.

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Author

Legal Educator at JusticeDirect. Camila holds a law degree and is a certified mediator. Her passion is breaking down complicated legal processes so that people without an attorney can get justice.

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