It is common for Judgment Collectors to take cases only after a client has first attempted to collect an-house. We don’t mind. We are happy to help whenever we can. But it is always interesting to speak with new clients regarding the things that they find most difficult about judgment collection.
Collecting an unpaid judgment is rarely an easy task. There are plenty of hurdles to overcome, that’s for sure. And because judgment creditors are different, there are different things they find frustrating. What about you? If you have been attempting to collect a judgment on your own, what has been the hardest part?
The Time Commitment
For so many of our clients, the hardest part is the time commitment. Rare is the case in which a judgment creditor can make a single phone call and then sit back and wait for payment to arrive. Time needs to be invested in finding the debtor, making contact, and exercising the various options for payment.
We have worked with clients who previously invested years in collection efforts before contacting us. Here is the thing: collecting unpaid judgments is what we do. We have the time to put into it. Perhaps you don’t.
Making Contact With the Debtor
For other clients, the hardest part of in-house judgment collection is making contact with the debtor. Debtors intending to avoid paying for as long as possible have a habit of not responding to emails, not answering their phones, and ignoring snail mail notifications.
Some go as far as to move and not leave forwarding information. A debtor might move across town, to a neighboring county, or even out-of-state. Moving and not leaving forwarding information just makes things more difficult on judgment creditors. Sometimes that’s the point.
A debtor who is especially hard to find might require a specialized discipline known as skip tracing. Debt collectors and private investigators are very familiar with skip tracing. Most judgment creditors are not. So when a debtor goes into hiding, they don’t know what to do. Has this been a problem for you?
Finding Undisclosed Assets
In the same league with chasing down debtors trying to hide is the challenging task of finding undisclosed assets. Judgment debtors intent on not paying often go to great lengths to hide assets that could be otherwise leveraged for payment.
In some cases, they simply failed to report assets like vacation properties, boats, collectibles, and jewelry. But other cases involve active attempts to conceal property. For example, a debtor might transfer the title of an investment property into a relative’s name.
Though we cannot give away the secrets of how we do it, we have ways of finding undisclosed assets. We have access to resources that help us track down all sorts of nonexempt property – even in neighboring counties and other states.
Seeking Additional Court Orders
Maybe the hardest part about judgment collection for you is seeking additional court orders. Maybe you want to garnish a judgment debtor’s wages. You need to go back to court to get a writ of garnishment. Likewise for seizing a piece of nonexempt property. You need a court order known as a writ of execution. Every time you need to deal with the court there are more fees to pay and more time to invest.
Regardless of what you find most difficult about judgment collection, you don’t actually need to go it alone. Judgment Collectors specializes in this form of debt collection. We are active in eleven states, including Utah. If you need help with your judgment, please do not hesitate to contact us.