Consumers who owe others money are often eager to get their accounts back into good standing. They want to avoid or at least limit the credit consequences of their debt and prevent lawsuits brought by creditors.
However, there are always a few bad apples willing to take things to an extreme in their attempts to avoid personal financial responsibility. Some people change their phone numbers, reject mail by returning it to the sender and even move out of state to avoid responsibility for their financial obligations.
Particularly in scenarios where a creditor has obtained a judgment that may allow them to garnish the debtor’s wages, they may flee the jurisdiction in an attempt to subvert the legal rights of the creditor. If creditors track a debtor to California after obtaining a judgment in another state, it may be possible to ask the civil courts for assistance.
The courts can domesticate a foreign judgment
The civil court process required to enforce a debt can take months to complete. The waiting period between when the creditor files the lawsuit and when they actually see a judge can give the debtor an opportunity to relocate again or employ other tactics intended to diminish their financial responsibility.
Instead of initiating a second lawsuit, creditors with a pre-existing judgment from another jurisdiction can domesticate that judgment in the California civil courts. The process involves submitting information about the judgment to the courts for review and approval. They can then take the same enforcement actions they planned to in the state where they originally litigated the matter.
Domesticating a judgment can be a relatively quick process when compared with obtaining a judgment initially. The process does not necessarily have to directly involve the debtor, which can give the creditor an opportunity to locate their place of employment and enforce the judgment before they have an opportunity to relocate again.
Businesses attempting to collect funds from those who have proven willing to go to great lengths to avoid financial responsibility may need help evaluating their consumer debt collection options, and that’s okay. Compliance with state and federal laws can be as important as maintaining an assertive approach to those who try to avoid their economic obligations. Domesticating an out-of-state judgment is just one of several solutions available for creditors frustrated by an individual’s refusal to pay.