A County Court Judgment is most commonly known as a CCJ.
A CCJ itself is more than just a bad marker on a debtor’s file, it is an order by a court stating that the debtor owes an amount of money to another person, or business. If the debtor does not pay what’s owed under the CCJ then a creditor can take enforcement action to compel them to pay.
Most CCJs are the result of an unpaid money claim and more often than not they occur when a debtor does not respond to a claim form. If a debtor does not respond to a claim form, a creditor can request that a County Court Judgment be entered ‘in default’ against the debtor – this means it has been entered solely on the basis that the debtor failed to respond. CCJs can still be obtained even if the debtor files an admission, or a defence and they are later found to owe the money following a trial.
A CCJ will stay on a debtor’s credit file for six years. If a debtor pays the full CCJ balance within one month of it being entered, then the CCJ will be removed from their credit file. However, if they pay the CCJ but not within the first month, it will remain in place for the whole six years, albeit the debtor can apply for a certificate of satisfaction to show that they have paid it. There is also the option for a debtor to apply to have the CCJ set aside (removed) if they can show the court that there is a good reason, such as they did not receive the claim form.
If you have a debtor that owes you money, Debt-Claims Solicitors can send a letter before action for just £12.50. If the debtor does not pay, then we can issue proceedings against the debtor and obtain a CCJ.
Similarly, if you have had a CCJ entered against you and you did not receive the claim form or you believe that you have a good reason why it should be set aside, then we may be able to get it removed. Please contact us to discuss.
