Other Ways to Make the Debtor Pay

In certain kinds of cases, you may be able to get the Debtor’s driver’s license or professional or business license suspended until the judgment is paid.

Here are some examples:

• If your claim had to do with the Debtor’s car or how he or she drove a car, the Department of Motor Vehicles may suspend the Debtor’s driver’s license and car registration until your judgment is paid. The judgment must be for $1000 or more, and it must be unpaid for more than 15 days.
• If your claim was about the Debtor’s licensed or certified business, notify the state or local licensing agency if the Debtor has not paid you. The agency may decide to revoke, suspend, or refuse to grant or renew a business license. It must be at least 35 days since the Debtor received notice of the judgment.
• In a Small Claims Court case, if a Debtor has three or more unpaid recorded judgments including yours, but he or she has the ability to pay them, you may be able to sue the Debtor for three times more than your original judgment. This is called treble damages. Ask the Small Claims Court Clerk if the Debtor is listed in the Small Claims Court’s index of unsatisfied judgments.
• If the Court finds the Debtor’s business is fraudulent or illegal, you can notify the Attorney General. If the business is licensed, also notify the agency that licensed the business.
• If the Debtor applies for a credit card or mortgage and the judgment has been filed in the County Clerk’s Office (see Make a Judgment Work in a Different Court or County) the credit card company or mortgage company may reject the Debtor. The Debtor may pay the judgment to improve his or her credit rating.