Dealing with a County Court Judgment (CCJ) can be stressful, but understanding the steps to pay it off can ease your mind. Whether you’re a member of the public or a qualified legal professional, here’s a straightforward guide on how to handle your CCJ based on information from https://www.gov.uk/county-court-judgments-ccj-for-debt.
Understanding Your County Court Judgment
A CCJ is issued when a court orders you to repay a debt you owe. The judgment will outline how much you need to pay, when you need to pay it by, and to whom the payment should be made.
Steps to Pay Your CCJ
1. Get the Details Right
Ensure you have all the details of the judgment, including the total amount owed, the claimant’s details, and the reference number. These will be in the form of the court order sent to you by the county court.
2. Contact the Claimant
Contact the claimant or their lawyers to ensure that all payments have been agreed upon and are well understood. It is also crucial to ensure that you put the correct banking details especially if you will be making the cash payment to avoid any hitches. Numerical details such as account number and sort code associated with the bank account also need to be verified carefully when making payments online.
3. Choose Your Payment Method
Depending on the banking facilities on the Judgment Creditor side, payments can often be made in a variety of channels – bank transfer, card payment, cheque and even PayPal are all possible. Cash is slightly trickier and may not be accepted due to anti-money laundering rules.
If you are paying the judgment debt, then the Claimant calls the shots on how payment will be accepted. That said, if you are the Judgment Debtor and you can only pay in a certain way, the Claimant needs to help facilitate that if they want their money. In our experience the method of payment is not usually a stumbling block to getting a judgment paid.
Both parties should keep records of payments made, and monies received so there is no future dispute. If payment is done by cheque, we advise that the cheque should be sent via Recorded Delivery with a tracking number, so it arrives safely at its destination.
4. Settle the Full Amount
If payment in full is made within one calendar month of the date of the court judgment, then any record of the County Court Judgment will be removed from the permanent County Court Register.
If you pay after one month, the CCJ will remain on the Register for a further 6 years although it will be marked as “Satisfied” if payment is made at a later date. Ideally a person doesn’t want this on their record at all – for any amount of time, as it may well adversely impact their credit score during this 6-year period.
5. Applying for a Certificate of Satisfaction.
To remove a CCJ from your credit record, and to give yourself proof that you have paid the judgment debt you should take the following steps |
- Apply for a Certificate of Cancellation – if you paid the full amount of the claim within one month of the date of judgment.
- Apply for a Certificate of Satisfaction – if you paid the full amount of the claim one month after the date of judgment.
To request a Certificate of either type put your request in writing or send form N443 to the court that is dealing with your case. You will find the court name and address on the judgment paperwork.
You will need to include a cheque for £15 made payable to ‘HMCTS’ to enable the court staff to process your request. If you want to pay by debit or credit card, you should contact the court which is handling your case.
6. Keep Records
The Certificate from the Court is an essential document that you should keep for your file and can work wonders for your credit score.
Therefore, keep your bank statement or other evidence of payment of the CCJ in a safe place so you can always confirm that the judgment has been paid, should it come up in any future credit report.
Need More Time?
If you are unable to pay the full amount, you can ask the court to consider a repayment plan. The Judgment Creditor needs to agree to the request and an application to the Court will be needed along with payment of the court fee. It is up to the court to determine if a new schedule is applicable in your case by considering your financial position.
If you think you may be exempt from paying a court fee refer to the Court’s own information on this link – see https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65cc8b5f39a8a7000f60d502/EX160_1123.pdf
High Court Enforcement
If you’re dealing with a larger judgment debt or debts and require High Court Enforcement, Shergroup’s experienced Enforcement Agents can assist. You might have seen our agents in action on the TV show, “Call The Bailiffs, Time to Pay Up,” which is available on Shergroup TV on YouTube. Watching the show can give you an insight into the enforcement process and how we operate.
Summing Up
Dealing with a CCJ doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By understanding the steps to pay and where to get help, you can manage the situation effectively.
For more personalized assistance, feel free to contact Shergroup at 0203 588 4240 or email us at [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn for more updates and support.
Paying your CCJ promptly and correctly can help you move forward with peace of mind. Remember, Shergroup is here to support early repayment and to avoid enforcement action if at all possible.
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