How to Report a Court Judgment to Credit Bureaus

If a co-worker defaults on a personal loan or a roommate moves out and leaves you with a pile of bills, you have the right to fight back in small claims court. If you win a civil judgment, it doesn't guarantee you'll get your money back, but the judgment can be reported to a credit bureau. Though the law prohibits individuals from directly adding information to another person's credit report, you can take steps to facilitate the process.

Instructions

1

Verify that the judgment was filed. Court caseloads for civil actions are large. According to the New York State Unified Court System, in 2010 almost 149,000 civil actions were filed in New York City in three months. A mis-keyed Social Security number can result in a judgment slipping through the cracks and make it unlikely to be reported to a credit bureau. Verify with a court clerk that identifying information for the parties in question is accurate. Verify that the judgment was entered into the public record and appears in a computer search.

2

Hire an attorney. You cannot directly report a judgment to an outside party. The three major credit bureaus (Experian, Transunion and Equifax) routinely scan the records of civil courts for judgments and update credit reports as needed. However, if a judgment is not paid within 30 days, you can hire an attorney to place the judgment in collection, which ensures it will be reported to the credit bureaus.

3

Issue a property lien. If the debtor has property, you are entitled to place a lien on the property until the judgment has been paid. An enforcement officer can be identified through your local court and can assist you in seizing that property. Property liens are reported to credit bureaus.