Judgement Collected with Aggressive Action
LOS ANGELES — My client had been trying for several years to collect on a judgment he obtained against a debtor back in 2011, without success. I helped him change that by taking an aggressive approach to collection, including issuing a warrant for the debtor’s arrest.
As soon as I was retained, I initiated an investigation to find the debtor’s current location, employment status, and assets. I registered a lien with the County of Los Angeles on any real property that the debtor owns, and I served the debtor with a Notice to Appear for Examination in Superior Court.
Judgment debtor’s examination
A judgment debtor’s examination is an opportunity to ask the debtor, under oath, questions about his assets and employment status – and he has to answer, or the judge will hold him in contempt. In this case, the debtor didn’t show up after being properly served with the Notice to Appear. When the debtor failed to appear in court, I requested that judge issue an arrest warrant, and my request was granted.
I then had the Sheriff’s Department serve the warrant. Having a warrant out for the debtor’s arrest puts a lot of pressure on the debtor, constantly looking over his shoulder and wondering when he’ll be hauled into court to explain to the judge why he hasn’t paid the judgment and why he failed to appear when the court ordered him to appear at the judgment debtor’s examination.
This, along with other efforts to garnish wages, levy bank accounts, and seize assets, amounted to a great amount of pressure on the debtor, until he eventually gave in. The debtor has since contacted my office and is making payments to my client, to pay off the judgment. Judgment collection can be very difficult, but having an attorney on your side who knows how to leverage the legal tools that are available can help you get the money you deserve.
