What is a judgment?

A judgment is a court order that requires an individual or business to repay a debt to a creditor. In West Virginia, a judgment is entered against a debtor if he or she fails to pay a debt owed to a creditor. The judgment serves as a legal order to pay and will include the amount of the debt and any court or collection costs associated with the debt. A judgment is a public record, which means that it is available to be seen by anyone, and this can have a serious effect on the debtor’s ability to get a loan or rent housing. A judgment gives a creditor the right to pursue various forms of debt collection, such as attaching a lien on property or freezing the debtor’s bank account. If the debtor does not pay the judgment, the creditor can garnish the debtor’s wages or income to bring the debt current, or can even take the debtor to court to gain a court order to seize property to pay the debt. A judgment can also remain on an individual or business’s credit report for up to 20 years, making it difficult to obtain credit or loans. In West Virginia, a judgment must be renewed by the creditor every 10 years in order for it to remain valid. This means that the creditor must file a formal request with the court to renew the judgment in order to collect on the debt. If there is no request to renew the judgment, the debt is considered to be “time-barred”, and the debtor is no longer obligated to make payments.

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