Georgia is a wonderful state known as much for its friendly people as its pecans and peaches. But even in the midst of so many great residents are those who wind up being taken to court and having judgments rendered against them. When judgments are rendered, collection is best left to the pros.
Civil court is where all sorts of non-criminal disputes are settled. It is where businesses go after deadbeat customers who don’t pay their bills. It is where personal injury lawsuits are heard and decided. The thing about civil courts is that they don’t render guilty or innocent verdicts. Civil courts render judgments in favor of one party and against another.
While Georgia’s civil laws and procedures may differ from other states, the state does follow one principle common across the nation: courts do not get involved in enforcement efforts except under exceptional circumstances. Enforcement is left to Georgia’s judgment creditors.
It Takes A Lot Of Work
Why do we say that collecting judgments in Georgia is best left to professionals? For starters, collecting judgments takes a lot of work. It is not as easy as meeting the creditor outside the courtroom and accepting a personal check. If getting paid were that easy, a typical civil court case would never have made it to trial.
Collecting judgments involves a whole lot of steps along with defined timelines and established procedures. A creditor must solicit information from the debtor and hope it’s accurate. Paperwork needs to be filed. Research must be done. There is just a lot of work involved. It is work that creditors don’t typically have time for.
Collection Can Take Some Time
Speaking of creditors not having the time to do the work, collecting judgments is rarely a quick process. It can take months just to get the ball rolling. If the judgment debtor isn’t keen on cooperating, that several months can easily turn into several years.
We always said that collecting judgments in-house requires a long-term commitment. The principle is as true in any other state. A judgment creditor who isn’t in it for the long haul is more likely to give up and walk away should the debtor stall long enough.
Diligence and Resourcefulness Win the Day
We have been in the judgment collection business for a long time. Over the years, we have seen it all. The most important lesson we have learned in that time is this: diligence and resourcefulness almost always win the day. To that end, a successful judgment collection service is staffed by team members who refuse to give up. They look at every tool and opportunity available to them.
The truth is that debtors are pretty creative themselves. They are also willing to play the waiting game. If they can find a way to hide assets or prevent collection agencies from finding them, they will not hesitate to employ it. So a firm like ours has to be resourceful. We need to be willing to stick it out no matter what.
We Do the Work for You
Judgment collection in Georgia is governed by very specific state laws. Judgment creditors need to do things by the book. If you don’t know how the system works, you can make even more work for yourself. Why do that? Your company has enough on its plate already.
Why not let us do the work for you? Judgment collection is our specialty. It is our bread and butter. We have the time, experience, knowledge, and skill to handle what would otherwise be a tremendous burden to your team.