# Collect on a Judgment Against a Customer: 9 Steps

> To collect on a judgment against a customer, find the money first, then use the cheapest tool that reaches it: a recorded judgment lien on real property, a bank levy timed to payday, wage garnishment where your state allows it, or a till tap or receivables levy for a business. Keep the judgment renewed, and file a satisfaction when paid.

- Canonical URL: https://www.pavadotech.com/blog/how-to-collect-on-a-judgment-against-a-customer
- Author: Om Patel
- Published: 2026-09-13
- Topic: Growth

A judgment against a customer is a court order saying they owe you. It is not money. The customer who ignored your invoice for four months is usually the same customer who ignores the judgment, so collecting is a second project with its own sequence: find where the money is, then use the cheapest tool that legally reaches it.

The top-ranking guides list those tools. They skip the parts that decide whether a contractor actually gets paid: that Texas and Florida homestead laws make most judgment liens useless against a house but carve out debts for work on that house, that a California judgment against a homeowner now earns 5% instead of 10% and can only be renewed once, and that bankruptcy law can strip a judgment lien while treating a mechanic's lien as a different kind of lien entirely. One r/smallbusiness owner sued a customer for $15,000, won, [hired a collections agency, and watched it quit](https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/comments/1uxyo1a/i_sued_a_customer_for_15k_won_in_court_but_they/) because "the customer keeps running them in circles." A collections attorney in that thread said calling "won't have much teeth," and what works is garnishing wages and restraining accounts.

This is legal information to help you plan, not legal advice. Enforcement rules change by state, province and county, so confirm the steps with your clerk, sheriff or a collections lawyer.

- **The court will not collect for you.** California's self-help guide, Ontario's Small Claims guide and the Orange County collection packet all say the same thing: enforcement is the creditor's job.
- **Find the money before you pay for writs.** A debtor exam, a statement of assets form or the bank details on the customer's deposit cheque decide which tool is worth buying.
- **Record a judgment lien in week one.** It costs little and waits for a sale or refinance. One painter on r/Contractor was paid, with interest, ten years later when the owners sold.
- **Homestead law changes everything.** Texas and Florida protect a primary residence from ordinary judgment liens, California protects $300,000 to $600,000 of equity before inflation adjustments, and Ontario protects $12,997.
- **Wage garnishment is not available everywhere.** Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and South Carolina bar most private garnishment. California caps it well below the federal 25%.
- **Bankruptcy freezes everything and can undo your lien.** A mechanic's lien is a statutory lien and is treated differently from a judicial lien, so keep lien rights alive even after you sue.

## What a judgment is, and what it is not

A money judgment gives you three things: a legal finding that the customer owes a fixed amount, interest on that amount until it is paid, and access to court enforcement tools. It does not give you a lien on anything until you record one, and it does not pay itself.

It also no longer does the thing many contractors assume it does. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that new reporting standards [removed all civil judgments from consumer credit reports](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/archive/blog/new-retrospective-on-removing-public-records/) in July 2017, and that bankruptcies are now the only public record on the nationwide bureaus' reports. When a commenter tells you a judgment will "kill her credit for the next 7 years," that is out of date. Your leverage is title, bank accounts and paychecks.

If you have not sued yet, start with [should I take a customer to small claims court](https://www.pavadotech.com/blog/should-i-take-a-customer-to-small-claims-court). This article starts the day after you win.

## Before you enforce: wait out the window and get the number right

Most courts give the losing side a short window to appeal or ask to set aside a default before you can enforce. In California small claims, the Orange County Superior Court's [collection packet](https://www.occourts.org/system/files/selfhelp/shc-sc-02.pdf) says you may not take action for 30 days from the date the clerk mailed the Notice of Entry of Judgment. Ontario is faster: its [after-judgment guide](https://www.ontario.ca/document/guide-procedures-small-claims-court/after-judgment) says you can start enforcement immediately after judgment.

Use the waiting time to work out exactly what you are owed, because the rate depends on who the customer is.

| Jurisdiction | Post-judgment interest | How long the judgment or lien lasts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| California | 10%, but 5% for a personal debt judgment under $50,000 against an individual entered from 2023 ([CCP 685.010](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP&sectionNum=685.010)) | 10 years, renewable; that personal debt judgment can be renewed only once, for 5 years ([California Courts](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/civil-lawsuit/judgment/renew)) |
| Texas | Prime rate with a 5% floor and 15% cap; 6.75% for judgments rendered in September 2026 ([Finance Code 304.003](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/FI/htm/FI.304.htm), [OCCC](https://occc.texas.gov/publications/interest-rates)) | Dormant if no writ issues within 10 years ([CPRC 34.001](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.34.htm)); abstract lien 10 years from recording |
| Florida | Set quarterly: 8.06% from July 1, 2026 and 7.87% from October 1, 2026 ([Florida CFO](https://myfloridacfo.com/division/aa/local-governments/judgement-interest-rates)) | Real property lien 10 years, extendable, never beyond 20 years from entry ([Fla. Stat. 55.10](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0055/Sections/0055.10.html), [55.081](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0055/Sections/0055.081.html)) |
| New York | 9%, but 2% on consumer debt where a natural person is the defendant ([CPLR 5004](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVP/5004)) | Real property lien 10 years from filing the judgment roll ([CPLR 5203](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVP/5203)) |
| Ontario | 4.0% for every quarter of 2026 ([Ontario](https://www.ontario.ca/page/prejudgment-and-postjudgment-interest-rates)) | Writs and garnishments valid 6 years, renewable for further 6-year periods |

Two contractor details hide in that table. California's 5% rate and New York's 2% rate both turn on the transaction being for "personal, family, or household purposes," and a kitchen remodel for a homeowner fits that wording. The same $8,000 judgment earns $800 a year against a California LLC and $400 a year against the homeowner. In New York the gap is $720 versus $160.

Second, check whether your contract set a rate. Texas lets a judgment on a contract that provides for interest earn the contract rate, capped at 18% under [section 304.002](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/FI/htm/FI.304.htm).

Official paperwork lags the law. The Orange County packet, revised in August 2026, still says interest runs "at 10% annually" and that standard wage withholding is 25%, although the statutes now set 5% for personal debt judgments and a lower wage cap. The same packet does get one thing right: writ and sheriff fees can be added to the judgment if you claim them within two years. Keep every receipt.

## Step 1: Send a post-judgment demand with terms

The first move is a short letter, and it works more often than the collections tools suggest. Ontario's guide recommends a written request with a payment address and a reasonable deadline. California's [collection overview](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/civil-lawsuit/judgment/how-collect) suggests asking for full payment or a payment plan before spending money on enforcement.

Offer two options: a modest discount for payment in full within 10 days, or installments with interest. Put any installment deal in writing with an acceleration clause, so one missed payment makes the whole balance due. Orange County's stipulation form for time payments says exactly that: "If any payment is missed, then the entire balance becomes due immediately."

If it gets no answer in 10 days, stop negotiating and start finding assets.

## Step 2: Find the money before you buy a writ

Every enforcement tool needs a target: a bank branch, an employer, a parcel of land or a business location. Writs cost money and expire, so the search comes first.

**Start with your own file.** Your best asset map is the deposit cheque. Ontario's guide uses exactly this example: a creditor garnishes a bank account because "she knows where he does his banking from a cheque he gave her." Photograph every cheque a customer ever hands you, front and back, and keep the e-transfer confirmation emails. The advice in [how to collect a deposit before starting work](https://www.pavadotech.com/blog/how-to-collect-a-deposit-before-starting-work) pays off twice here.

**Use the form the court makes them fill out.** In California small claims, the losing party receives a Judgment Debtor's Statement of Assets (SC-133) with the notice of entry of judgment and must pay or return it within 30 days. If they do not, you can ask for an order to produce it and appear for examination.

**Order a debtor examination.** A debtor exam is a court date where the customer answers under oath about their employer, bank accounts, property, businesses and anyone who owes them money. If they do not show, [California's guide](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/civil-lawsuit/judgment/debtor-exam) says the judge can issue a bench warrant, and the court will usually need a $50 check for the sheriff. For a business debtor, subpoena documents too. One r/Smallclaims commenter listed what to demand from an LLC: tax returns, bank statements, [a list of clients and outstanding receivables](https://www.reddit.com/r/Smallclaims/comments/1u0h5xl/won_small_claims_judgment_defendant_refusing_to/), vehicle titles, leases and a list of recently departed employees, since "recently fired employees love to rat out a dishonest employer."

**Search public records.** Recorder and assessor records show real property. A business customer's website often lists its current projects, which matters in Step 6.

## Step 3: Record a judgment lien on real property in week one

Recording a judgment lien is the cheapest durable tool you have. It does not need you to know which parcel the customer owns, and it sits on title until a sale or refinance forces the issue.

In California, you get an Abstract of Judgment from the clerk and record it with the county recorder. Under [CCP 697.310](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP&sectionNum=697.310), the lien lasts until 10 years from entry of the judgment, subject to renewal. The Orange County packet notes you do not need a property address: the abstract attaches to any property in the debtor's name in that county, so record where they live and where they do business. In Texas, a recorded abstract attaches to non-exempt real property in the county, [including property acquired later](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PR/htm/PR.52.htm). In Florida, you record a certified copy of the judgment that includes your address.

It is slow money, but it is real. A painter on r/Contractor [described being paid](https://www.reddit.com/r/Contractor/comments/1d4n0ch/contractor_does_not_want_to_pay/) "ten years later + interest" when the owners wanted to sell. A countertop installer in the same Texas thread took a year to get a default judgment against a general contractor for $2,200, then recorded against the GC's rental property, not his home, which is the right instinct in a homestead state.

### Homestead protection, and the contractor exception

The house your customer lives in may be partly or fully protected.

- **Texas** exempts the homestead from seizure for creditors' claims under [Property Code 41.001](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PR/htm/PR.41.htm), up to 10 acres in town and 100 or 200 acres rural, with no dollar cap. A debtor can even file a homestead affidavit to release your judgment lien of record; you have 30 days after their certificate of mailing to file a contradicting affidavit under [section 52.0012](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PR/htm/PR.52.htm).
- **Florida's** constitution protects a homestead up to half an acre inside a municipality or 160 acres outside, and says [no judgment shall be a lien on it](https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Constitution).
- **California** protects the greater of $300,000 or the county median home price capped at $600,000, both adjusted annually for inflation, under [CCP 704.730](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP&sectionNum=704.730). The lien still attaches; the exemption limits what a forced sale pays you.
- **Ontario** prescribes only $12,997 for a principal residence under [O. Reg. 657/05](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050657).

Here is what the generic guides leave out. Florida's homestead protection has an exception written into the same sentence: it does not apply to "obligations contracted for the purchase, improvement or repair thereof, or obligations contracted for house, field or other labor performed on the realty." Texas lets encumbrances be fixed on a homestead for "work and material used in constructing improvements on the property if contracted for in writing" under the statute's formal requirements. In both states, the contractor who built the deck is in a different position from the credit card company. How you use that exception, and whether your lien paperwork satisfied it, is a question for a local construction lawyer, and it is one more reason to read [when a contractor should file a lien](https://www.pavadotech.com/blog/when-should-a-contractor-file-a-lien) before the deadline passes rather than after.

## Step 4: Levy the bank account, and time it to payday

A bank levy is usually the fastest money. You get a writ of execution from the clerk, then the sheriff or a registered process server serves it on the bank, which freezes and turns over non-exempt funds.

In California, the clerk charges [$40 to issue the writ](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/civil-lawsuit/judgment/collect/writ-execution), the writ is good for 180 days, and the sheriff's levy fee is ["usually around $50.00"](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/small-claims/after-trial/collect-money/bank-levy). Orange County quotes about $35 to levy a bank account. Three details decide whether it works:

1. **A levy is a one-time snapshot.** The bank takes what is in the account on the day it is served. California's guide tells creditors to have it served "right after they're paid or right before they pay rent."
2. **Some money is protected automatically.** California exempts, without a claim, an amount equal to the state's minimum basic standard of adequate care for a family of four, applied per debtor and not per account, under [CCP 704.220](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP&sectionNum=704.220). Social Security and similar deposits are exempt too.
3. **Big banks take service at a central office.** California banks with 10 or more branches designate a central location for legal process, so check before you send the sheriff to the local branch.

One r/Smallclaims creditor with a $12,500 judgment [levied an account and received $50](https://www.reddit.com/r/Smallclaims/comments/1nuonjn/how_to_get_paid_for_winning_small_claims_court/) because, according to the bank, about $2,000 was exempt. A levied debtor often moves banks, so hit the fullest account on the best day.

## Step 5: Garnish wages, where your state allows it

A wage garnishment is slow but repeats every pay period until you are paid. Whether it exists at all depends on where the customer works.

| Where the debtor works | Maximum taken for an ordinary judgment |
| --- | --- |
| Federal floor, all states | The lesser of 25% of disposable weekly earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage, which is $217.50 at $7.25 ([15 U.S.C. 1673](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1673)) |
| California | The lesser of 20% of disposable earnings or 40% of the amount above 48 times the state or local minimum wage ([CCP 706.050](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP&sectionNum=706.050)) |
| New York | Income execution of up to 10% of income, never more than the federal cap ([CPLR 5231](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVP/5231)) |
| Florida | Nothing from a head of family earning $750 a week or less, and nothing above that without a signed waiver ([Fla. Stat. 222.11](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0222/Sections/0222.11.html)) |
| Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina | Private wage garnishment barred for most debts ([Texas Property Code 42.001](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PR/htm/PR.42.htm), [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/which-states-prohibit-wage-garnishment-by-debt-collectors/), [South Carolina Legal Services](https://sclegal.org/brochures/wage-garnishment/)) |
| Ontario | 20% of net wages, since 80% is exempt; a judge can raise or lower that ([Wages Act s. 7](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90w01)) |

Run the California math before you count on a paycheck. With the state minimum wage at [$16.90 an hour in 2026](https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_minimumwage.htm), 48 times that is $811.20. A homeowner taking home $1,000 a week loses the lesser of $200 (20%) or 40% of $188.80, which is $75.52. At that rate a $6,000 judgment takes about 79 weeks, before interest. The federal formula alone would have taken $250 a week. At $1,500 a week, the California figure rises to $275.52.

In the no-garnishment states, stop planning around the paycheck. One r/legaladvice commenter summed up Texas: [unless you find their bank information](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/1rtyxpl/won_a_small_claims_case_defendant_refuses_to_pay/), "it is near impossible to enforce a judgement in Texas against an ordinary person without other assets." The same Reddit creditor with the $50 levy found the debtor's employer was headquartered in South Carolina, which "does not do garnishments."

A single judgment you are chasing for 79 weeks hurts most when it is a big share of the month. We build lead flow for trade businesses so you can require deposits, bill in stages and walk away from the customers who never meant to pay.

## Step 6: When the customer is a business, go where the cash moves

If your judgment is against a general contractor, a property manager or any company, you have tools that do not exist against a homeowner, and they are often better.

**Till tap.** The sheriff walks into the business and takes cash from the register. Orange County calls it "a common collection method and not as expensive as putting a Sheriff's keeper in a business," but warns that if the register is short you pay another fee for each return trip.

**Keeper levy.** A deputy stays at the business for the hours you pay for and collects receipts as customers pay. The fees "can be expensive" and there is no guarantee. One r/personalfinance user who won about $2,000 against a mechanic weighed a till tap or keeper as [the last court option](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/1c13rdt/won_small_claims_against_business_unable_to/) after a private investigator failed to find a bank account, and had "heard grim results from that, not to mention the cost."

**Third-party levy on receivables.** This is the one that suits construction. A GC who owes you almost always has an owner who owes the GC. California's guide notes that when someone owes the business money, the sheriff can collect from that person, and that this often works better through a formal assignment order. Your debtor exam list of clients and receivables becomes the target list. As one r/Smallclaims commenter put it, when you know who a business debtor's clients are, "there is a way to seize 3rd party receivables and collect your money straight from his client."

**Tools and equipment.** Seizing a truck or equipment is expensive and often blocked. Orange County quotes up to $1,800 to seize and sell a vehicle. Texas exempts tools, equipment and vehicles used in a trade within its personal property limits of $50,000 for a single adult and $100,000 for a family. Ontario exempts $17,362 of tools used to earn income and a vehicle up to $8,578. The threat can still work: one r/Smallclaims user said his father got a lien on a tradesman's tools, and ["once the deputies showed up to seize it,"](https://www.reddit.com/r/Smallclaims/comments/1u0h5xl/won_small_claims_judgment_defendant_refusing_to/) the debtor called to arrange payment.

Check that the judgment names the entity that holds the assets. An LLC's account is not the owner's personal account, and California will correct a debtor's name but will not add an officer or employee to the judgment.

## Step 7: If the customer files bankruptcy, stop and read the notice

The moment a bankruptcy petition is filed, an automatic stay under [11 U.S.C. 362](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/362) halts "the enforcement, against the debtor or against property of the estate, of a judgment obtained before the commencement of the case." Pull back any pending levy or garnishment the day you get notice, because continuing to collect after notice can create liability for you.

Three rules then decide what survives.

**Your judgment lien can be stripped.** Under [11 U.S.C. 522(f)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/522), a debtor may avoid a judicial lien to the extent it impairs an exemption, such as the homestead. The Code defines a judicial lien as one "obtained by judgment, levy, sequestration, or other legal or equitable process." A statutory lien is different, and the legislative notes to [11 U.S.C. 101](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/101) name mechanics' and materialmen's liens as examples. That distinction is why a timely mechanic's lien is worth preserving even after you win in court.

**Recent collections can be clawed back.** The trustee can recover transfers to a creditor on an old debt made within 90 days before filing while the debtor was insolvent, under [11 U.S.C. 547](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/11/547). There is a floor: in a case filed by an individual with primarily consumer debts, transfers totaling less than $600 are protected.

**Fraud claims have a hard deadline.** If the customer took your deposit with no intention of paying, a complaint to have the debt declared non-dischargeable must be filed within 60 days after the first date set for the creditors' meeting, under [Bankruptcy Rule 4007(c)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frbp/rule_4007). Miss it and the argument is gone.

## Step 8: Assign, sell or hand it to a collections lawyer

If the tools above are more work than the judgment is worth to you, transfer the work. This differs from placing an unpaid invoice with an agency, which we covered in [should I use a collections agency](https://www.pavadotech.com/blog/should-i-use-a-collections-agency-for-unpaid-invoices), because the hard part, proving the debt, is already done.

- **Judgment recovery firms** commonly work on contingency. One r/smallbusiness commenter [described the 50/50 split as standard](https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/comments/1v05qof/is_judgement_recovery_services_safe/), with some firms charging more, and another noted the fee is "50% of whatever they recover, not 50% of your judgement." Look for full assignment language, an exclusivity period that locks you out, and a written reassignment if they fail.
- **Selling outright** gets cash now at a steep discount. The top reply on an r/legaladvice thread about a $20,000 Nevada judgment suggested selling it to a collector for [possibly 40% to 60% up front](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/popfq3/nv_won_a_case_defendant_owes_20k_but_wont_pay/), "but your mileage may vary."
- **A collections attorney** is worth calling when there is a house, a business or a paycheck to reach. On that same thread, a lawyer experienced in judgment enforcement said the creditor could record the judgment, levy the bank and garnish wages at the same time, and added: "If the defendant can afford that house, you should be able to get paid."

## Step 9: Keep it alive, and close it out properly

A judgment you forget to renew stops being collectible. California's guide is blunt: "If you wait even 1 day after 10 years, you're too late." Renewal costs $45 there, you can apply after five years, and any liens and wage garnishments need a certified copy of the renewal to continue. Remember the 2023 limit: a personal debt judgment under $50,000 against an individual gets one five-year renewal. In Texas, issue a writ at least once every 10 years or the judgment goes dormant. Florida liens need re-recording before they lapse and end at 20 years. In Ontario, renew writs and garnishments before their six years run out.

When you are paid, file the satisfaction promptly. California small claims creditors must notify the court [within 14 days](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/small-claims/after-trial/collect-money). If the debtor serves a written demand, [CCP 724.050](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CCP&sectionNum=724.050) gives you 15 days to comply, after which you are liable for their damages and forfeit $100. If you recorded abstracts, record a notarized acknowledgment of satisfaction in every county. In Ontario, serve a Notice of Termination of Garnishment on the garnishee and the clerk "immediately" once paid in full.

## Enforcing a Small Claims judgment in Ontario

Ontario uses different names for the same ideas, and the forms are in [Rule 20 of the Rules of the Small Claims Court](https://www.ontariocourts.ca/scj/areas-of-law/small-claims-court/enforcement/).

- **Examination hearing.** File a Notice of Examination (Form 20H) with an Affidavit for Enforcement Request (Form 20P), and serve it at least 30 days before the hearing, with a blank Financial Information Form if the debtor is an individual. A debtor who skips it or refuses to answer can be sent to a contempt hearing, where a judge can order up to five days in jail. If the judge orders periodic payments, you cannot use other tools, except a writ against land, while those payments are made.
- **Garnishment.** A Notice of Garnishment (Form 20E) reaches a bank account or 20% of net wages. The clerk holds the first payment for 30 days, then [divides it equally](https://www.ontario.ca/document/guide-procedures-small-claims-court/after-judgment) among all Small Claims creditors at that location with garnishments against the same debtor. On a joint account, up to 50% can be garnished.
- **Writ of Seizure and Sale of Land.** File it with the enforcement office in every county or district where the customer may own land, now or later. You can direct a sale after four months, but the sale cannot proceed until the writ has been on file for six months, and the guide calls sale "a complicated and costly process." For most contractors, the writ is leverage on a future sale or mortgage, not an auction.
- **Writ of Seizure and Sale of Personal Property.** It works only when there is equity beyond the Execution Act exemptions, and the enforcement office can refuse to act if costs would exceed the debtor's equity.

The [clerk fees](https://www.ontario.ca/page/fees-small-claims-court) are modest: $68 to issue a writ of seizure and sale or a notice of examination, $144 to issue or renew a notice of garnishment, and $30 for a certificate of judgment if the debtor lives in another court's area. Enforcement office fees and deposits for seizures are extra.

## Enforcement methods ranked by cost and odds

The odds column is our assessment from the sources above, not a measured success rate.

| Method | Typical out-of-pocket cost | Odds of recovering money | Speed | Best against |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Post-judgment demand and payment deal | Postage | Medium | Days | A customer with money who wants it over |
| Judgment lien on real property | Clerk and recorder fees | High if non-exempt equity exists; low on a Texas or Florida homestead | Months to years | Homeowners, landlords, owners of rental property |
| Bank levy | $40 writ plus about $35 to $50 levy fee in California | High if you know the bank and time it; one shot | Weeks | Anyone whose deposit cheque you kept |
| Third-party levy on receivables | Writ and service fees, often a lawyer | High when you know who owes the business | Weeks | General contractors, property managers |
| Wage garnishment | Writ plus levying fee; $144 in Ontario | Medium where allowed; none in TX, PA, NC, SC | Months | Salaried homeowners |
| Till tap | Writ plus sheriff fee per visit | Medium against cash businesses; low against GCs | A day | Retail and service shops |
| Keeper levy | Hourly sheriff fees, "can be expensive" | Low to medium | Days | Busy cash businesses |
| Seize and sell vehicle or tools | Up to about $1,800 in Orange County | Low after loans and exemptions | Months | Debtors with owned, unencumbered equipment |
| Recovery firm or sale of judgment | 50% contingency, or a 40% to 60% sale price | Medium; they pick winners | Varies | Judgments you no longer want to manage |

## The enforcement sequence on one page

1. **Day 0:** Judgment entered. Diary the appeal window and the renewal date.
2. **Day 1 to 30:** Calculate the correct interest rate and pull every cheque image and e-transfer from the job file.
3. **Day 30:** Send the demand with a 10-day deadline and an installment option with acceleration.
4. **Day 31:** Record the abstract or certified judgment where the customer lives, works or owns property.
5. **Day 40:** Get the writ and schedule the bank levy for the day after a likely payday.
6. **Day 45:** No known bank or employer? Order the debtor exam or Ontario examination hearing, with documents.
7. **After the exam:** Garnish wages where allowed, or levy receivables and tap the till for a business.
8. **Bankruptcy notice:** Stop, and calendar the fraud complaint deadline.
9. **Every quarter:** Recheck title and business records. Renew on time, and file a satisfaction once paid.

Enforcement is a cost of doing business with the wrong customers. A fuller pipeline lets you screen harder at the estimate stage, so fewer jobs ever reach a courtroom.

## When to stop spending on it

Some judgments cannot be collected today. [Nolo's guide](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/small-claims-book/chapter24-2.html) recommends a collection budget that counts your own time, and says the best move against a judgment-proof debtor is to wait and check back, since the judgment stays alive. The lawn care owner in the [r/Smallclaims thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/Smallclaims/comments/1nuonjn/how_to_get_paid_for_winning_small_claims_court/) learned his customer lived in government housing with no job and concluded, "Spose Ile just take the loss." That is a reasonable call, as long as you record the lien and look again if she ever buys a house.

If this is your third judgment this year, the problem is upstream. [What to do when a customer won't pay](https://www.pavadotech.com/blog/what-to-do-when-a-customer-wont-pay) covers staged billing, and [customer short-paid the final invoice](https://www.pavadotech.com/blog/customer-short-paid-the-final-invoice) covers the cheque you should not deposit. A steady [flow of qualified jobs](https://www.pavadotech.com/) is what makes turning away a risky customer affordable.

## The bottom line

A judgment is the start of collection, not the end. Record a lien the same month, point a writ at the specific account, paycheck or receivable your search found, check homestead and garnishment rules before you spend, renew on time, and file a satisfaction when paid. And keep your mechanic's lien rights alive, because bankruptcy treats that lien better than the judgment you worked to win.

## FAQ

### What happens if I win in small claims court and the customer still does not pay?

Nothing happens on its own. California's court self-help guide says it plainly: the court gives you a judgment but does not collect the money for you. You have to find the customer's bank, employer or property and then use a writ of execution, a recorded judgment lien or a garnishment to reach it. Interest keeps running while you do.

### Can I put a lien on a customer's house after I win a judgment?

Usually, yes. In California you record an abstract of judgment with the county recorder, and the lien lasts 10 years from entry of the judgment. In Texas an abstract creates a lien on non-exempt real property in that county. The catch is homestead protection: Texas and Florida shield a primary residence from ordinary judgment liens, although both carve out debts for work that improved the property.

### How much of a customer's paycheck can I garnish?

Federal law caps ordinary garnishment at the lesser of 25% of disposable weekly earnings or the amount above 30 times the federal minimum wage, which is $217.50 a week. States can go lower. California takes the lesser of 20% or 40% of earnings above 48 times the state minimum wage, New York income executions start at 10% of income, and Ontario generally allows 20% of net wages.

### Can I garnish wages for a judgment in Texas?

Not for an ordinary business debt. Texas Property Code section 42.001 exempts current wages for personal services from seizure except for court-ordered child support. Pennsylvania, North Carolina and South Carolina also bar most private wage garnishment. In those states you work bank accounts, non-homestead real estate and business assets instead.

### Will a judgment hurt my customer's credit score?

Not directly anymore. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports that new reporting standards removed all civil judgments from consumer credit reports in July 2017, and bankruptcies are now the only public record the nationwide bureaus carry. Threatening a credit hit is not real leverage. A recorded lien on the house is.

### How long does a judgment last?

It depends on where you won. California judgments last 10 years and can be renewed, but a personal debt judgment under $50,000 against an individual can only be renewed once for five years. A Texas judgment goes dormant if no writ of execution issues within 10 years. Florida caps judgment liens at 20 years. In Ontario, writs and garnishments last six years and are renewable.

### What happens to my judgment if the customer files for bankruptcy?

All collection stops the moment the petition is filed, because of the automatic stay in 11 U.S.C. 362. Your judgment lien may be stripped if it impairs an exemption, money you collected in the prior 90 days can be clawed back as a preference, and a fraud objection has to be filed within 60 days after the first date set for the creditors' meeting.

### Can I sell my judgment or hand it to a recovery company?

Yes. Judgment recovery firms commonly work on a 50% contingency and some charge more, according to r/smallbusiness commenters who have used them. The fee is a share of what they recover, not of the judgment. Read the contract for full assignment, exclusivity periods, and a clause returning the judgment to you in writing if they fail.

### What do I have to do once the customer pays the judgment?

File a satisfaction. California small claims creditors must tell the court within 14 days of full payment, and if a debtor sends a written demand, you have 15 days to comply or face damages plus a $100 forfeit. If you recorded an abstract, record the acknowledgment in every county too. In Ontario, serve a Notice of Termination of Garnishment on the garnishee and the clerk.