Q: I live in horror county Sc. Sheriffs judgment $2,200 against me. From a personal loan
Home flooded last year wasn't aware of court date. It a he saiid she said. I lost since I wasn't at court date. Received sherrifs judgment against personal property. I am a single mom of 2. Made $20,000 last year because of the hurricane. I rent. All I have are household items. Can not afford an attorney
A:
A judgment is a finding by a court that you owe money to someone. If you have assets, the sheriff can levy against the assets to collect the judgment. Based on what you are saying about assets and income, you probably qualify for legal aid.
The sheriff will ask you to pay the judgment, however, you can tell the sheriff that you cannot pay the debt. You have exemptions under South Carolina law that probably protect all of your assets against a collection. Wages cannot be garnished for the type of debt you are describing.
Your real problem is that a judgment is going to hurt your credit making the cost of borrowing money higher for you. The judgment will remain as something that can be used against you for 10 years. After 10 years the judgment no longer has any effect to hurt you.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
