Q: I won my case in Court and got a judgment against the defendant, who did not show up to fight the case.
How long do I have to try to collect on the judgment?
A: You have twenty years from the date of the judgment to execute on that judgment. Collection lawyers are very good at locating assets of a party f they have them, and similarly to personal injury lawyers, they often only take their fee if they recover compensation for you.
A: As stated, a money judgment is collectible over 20 years. It can also be a lien on real property owned by the defendant for 10 years. I assume you go tthis judgment in a small claims court. If so, see the Court Clerk and ask for a transcript you can docket in your County Clerk's Office. That will make it a lien on real property. If you think the defendant has property or works in another county, get the County Clerk to give you trasncripts so you can file them in other counties. If I recall, trasncripts will run you $6 and it costs $10 to file.
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