Finding Judgements

• 1). Visit the office of your county clerk of the court and ask to search through money judgement records. Money judgements are a matter of public record and county clerks' offices allow public access to their records rooms. Many counties have the records for civil court case decisions, including judgements, stored on computers. Some counties charge a fee, usually between $8 and $10, to conduct a search. Also, there will likely be a nominal fee for copies of judgement transcripts, which are written records.
  
  
• 2). Hunt for court cases involving disputes over unpaid money, such as minor car accidents, unpaid loans or unlicensed contractors, who were paid for jobs that were never finished. Look for cases in which the plaintiff was awarded a money judgement that has not been collected. Ask the clerk's staff for assistance to determine whether a judgement has been collected or not. Judgements will have the names and addresses of the debtors, so make sure to get copies of selected judgements.
  
  
• 3). Some counties offer public access to records through their websites. Online services such as PublicRecordCenter.com allow you to search any state's public records for judgements, liens and personal assets.
  
  
• 4). Determine if the debtor has sufficient assets to make the judgement worth pursuing. Investigate public records either at the county clerk's office or through a service like PublicRecordCenter.com, which can be used for for asset searches, to determine if the debtor owns property or other assets such as a vehicle that makes collection a viable possibility. If the debtor owns a home, it often makes collecting a judgement as simple as filing a lien against the property.
  
  
• 5). Typically plaintiffs are unaware of how to collect their judgements and are happy to pay pennies on the dollar to avoid trying to collect on their own. A fair amount to pay the judgement holder is generally 10 to 20 cents on the dollar, or $300 to $600 for a $3,000 judgement.
  
  

Collecting the Judgement

• 1). Have the plaintiff assign the judgement to you, which must be done before you can collect. Most judgements made in favor of the plaintiff, allow the judgement holder to delegate the judgement to a third party for collection purposes. Assignment gives you all the legal powers of collection available to the original plaintiff.
  
  
• 2). Contact the debtor by mail or phone. Explain that you are collecting judgements against them and politely request that payments be sent to you immediately. If debtors do not pay, you can place liens on their property or garnish wages. Contact your local courthouse for the legal process necessary for either action. Many debtors quit their jobs once their wages have been garnished.
  
  
• 3). Interest begins to accrue on a judgement once it has been entered. The interest rate varies from state to state, but is usually 5 to 10 percent annually. You can collect the original judgement amount plus all accrued interest.