What happens if a judgment is not paid in small claims court?
A judgment in small claims court is a ruling made by a judge that a person owes a certain amount of money to another person. If the judgment is not paid, a few things can happen. First, the court may issue a Writ of Attachment, which allows the court to take property or assets belonging to the person who owes the money and sell them in order to pay the judgment. Secondly, the court could issue a Wage Deduction Order, which instructs the debtor’s employer to take money out of their paycheck on a regular basis and send it to the court, which will then give it to the person they owe. In Illinois, if the amount of the judgment is more than $3,000, the court can issue a civil judgment that will be reported to major credit bureaus and stay on the debtor’s record for some time. This will impact their credit score, making it harder for them to get loans or credit cards. Finally, the court may issue a papershowing that the debtor has been found in contempt of court. This means that the court has determined that they disobeyed the court’s order to pay the money, and the court may punish them with fines, community service, or jail time. In any case, it is important to pay a judgment, as failure to do so can result in serious consequences.
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