Is an old judgement against me still valid?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Is an old judgement against me still valid?
I had a judgement awarded against be 6 years ago. I did not go the hearing. The bank froze and took about $3,000 from my account. I never hear from the bank again. Now I just got a call from a collection agency demanding payment on the judgement. I do not have the money and they will not take payments they want a lump sum. What can I do?
Asked on July 22, 2011 Texas
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
How much was the judgment for? More than $3,000? When the $3,000 was taken from your bank account through a levy, did the judgment creditor give you a satisfaction of judgment in full? If you received a satisfaction of judgment in full, then the collection company cannot bother you legally for the obligation.
Most States allow a judgment to be valid for 10 years. If the judgment is not renewed before the expiration of 10 years, then it most likely will no longer be valid. Some States allow a judgment crediotr to renew a judgment only once or twice for a total life of 20 to 30 years.
Go to the court where the judgment was entered against you and see if a full or partial satisfaction of it was filed. Consulting with a debt collection lawyer on the subject would also help clear up some information for you.
Good luck.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.