Winning a monetary judgment in civil court can go a long way toward righting wrongs. But winning alone is not enough. In order to complete the process, you need to collect the award. Here is the thing: you could spend years trying to collect and still not succeed.
It has been estimated by a number of reputable sources, including Salt Lake City’s Judgment Collectors, that up to 80% of all money judgments in America are never collected. Some creditors contact Judgment Collectors years after the fact hoping to get some help. Others just throw their hands up and walk away. They spend years chasing a judgment and see nothing in return.
Let Professionals Do It
A viable solution to the problem of unsuccessfully chasing a judgment is to turn it over to an agency like Judgment Collectors. Let them take on the job of collecting. If and when they succeed, you pay a portion of what they collect as the fee for the services. In the meantime, you can focus on more important things.
The Possibilities Are Endless
So, what could you be doing if you were not chasing a judgment? It is a serious question. If you have been working unsuccessfully on a judgment for years, how much time an effort have you put into a losing proposition? There are so many other things you could be doing. Indeed, the possibilities are endless.
1. Landlord: Improve Your Properties
Are you a landlord? If so, you could be putting your time, energy, and financial resources into improving your properties. You could make your properties more attractive to the highest quality tenants. You could even put more time and effort into vetting tenants to guarantee you are getting the best people in your units. That could only be good for your bottom line.
2. Business Owner: Reach More Customers
Perhaps you are a small business owner looking to grow your business. You can only do it if you successfully reach more customers. Yet right now, you are putting so much time and effort into chasing a judgment that you have nothing left for new customers. Turn your judgment over to a professional and get back to bringing more customers into your company family.
3. Bookkeeper: Work on Reducing Missed Payments
A small business bookkeeper tasked with chasing a judgment needs to put time and energy into something that may have been avoided altogether had she had more opportunity to work on reducing missed payments. By nurturing relationships with customers, perhaps she could increase the number of invoices paid on time. Fewer unpaid invoices reduces the need to go to court for judgments.
4. Consumer: Enjoy the Rest of Your Life
Individual consumers file some civil judgments against companies they do business with. If you are one such consumer, chasing an outstanding judgment could be devouring most of your free time. You do not have time to enjoy the finer things because you’re always on the phone or doing research. Forget your hobbies and interests. Your whole life revolves around that judgment.
All these scenarios have one thing in common: they do not have to be reality. Organizations like Judgment Collectors exist solely for the purpose of handling collection efforts. Collecting outstanding judgments is what they do. They are the experts. Why not let them do it?
Like any service, you do have to pay for collection. But any such fee is worth it when you consider how much your time, effort, and energy are worth. At least that is my point of view.
