How Long Does It Take to Collect a Money Judgment in Arizona?

Arizona is one of the many states Judgment Collectors operates in. That being the case, a question we hear quite frequently is how long it takes to collect an Arizona money judgment. The bad news is that we cannot give a definitive answer. Each case is different. The good news is that our team gets to work right away once a case is assigned to us.

Like in most other states, money judgments in Arizona are governed by a collection of rules, regulations, and time constraints. There is a lot to know before beginning to try to collect. If you don’t know how to proceed, or just aren’t interested in collecting on your own, Judgment Collectors might be able to help.

Collecting in a Perfect World

In a perfect world, collecting a money judgment in Arizona would be easy and straightforward. As the judgment creditor, you would meet the other party – also known as the judgment debtor – outside the courtroom once your case has been decided. The debtor would pull out his checkbook and pay the debt right then and there. But this sort of thing never happens.

A long list of things sit between the court’s decision and actual collection. Let’s look at some of those things in more detail:

1. Appeal

Although appealing, a money judgment can be tricky. A judgment debtor’s attorney may recommend appealing on the grounds that the court made errors or reached the wrong decision. Appeals take additional time to sort out, and until that happens, collection efforts can’t begin in earnest.

2. The Debtor’s Income

Collecting a judgment relies heavily on the debtor’s financial situation. Looking into that situation starts with the debtor’s income. Is he employed? If so, how much does he make every week? How much of what he earns is required to pay his bills?

The debtor’s income goes a long way toward determining how to proceed with collection efforts. Limited income, along with a heavy debt load, could make getting paid harder. Limited income could limit your options as the judgment creditor.

3. The Debtor’s Assets

Judgment creditors are fortunate in that their collection efforts aren’t limited solely to a debtor’s regular income. Creditors can look at a variety of nonexempt assets that include things like real estate and collectibles. In fact, nonexempt assets often prove themselves to be the most important tool for successful collection.

One of the things we do here at Judgment Collectors is search for assets that could be leveraged to encourage payment. Whether a debtor is purposely trying to hide assets or has genuinely overlooked them, one of our jobs is to find those assets.

How Long Does It Take to Collect a Money Judgment in Arizona | Judgment Collectors

Collection Can Take Years

It would be nice if judgment creditors were paid within weeks of winning their cases. But such quick payments don’t happen very often. Collection often takes months, at the very least. It can take years when cases are extremely complex. Several years is a long time to be working on debt collection.

Are you considering taking someone to court? Have you already won a money judgment and are now preparing for collection? If you answered ‘yes’ to either question, be prepared to invest some time. And if you don’t have the time to invest, consider letting Judgment Collectors collect for you.

Judgment Collectors has the knowledge, skill, and experience to tackle your case. We work on consignment as well. That means you don’t pay a dime unless and until we collect. Give us a call. You have nothing to lose but a lot to gain.