Judgments
Judgments on your credit report does not bode well for your credit score. A judgment can drop your credit score by as many as 200 points. A judgment is defined as "the final decisive act of a court in defining the rights of the parties". The judgment will have a court decree, and this paperwork can provide the foundation for an appeal.
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Often, when a judgment is entered in a court, it is what is called a "default judgment". A default judgment means that the court order was made with the debtor failing to act. When a debtor fails to act, the judge overseeing the case will almost always rule in favor of the creditor that brought in the case. If you receive notification that a default judgment has been entered against you, contact the court that oversaw the case and obtain copies of all of the original filed paperwork. Review the original paperwork for errors, such as wrong contact information or incorrect personal information. If you find a mistake with the paperwork, consult with a lawyer and ask the court for a rehearing. If you can prove that you were treated unfairly through the trial process, the court will hear the case again. If the statute of limitations has expired on the old debt, it is possible for the debt and the case to be dismissed.
You may be able to qualify for a reverse judgment if you can prove that you were not given due process. A reverse judgment is defined as "overruling a lower court's decision", which is like an appeal in court. A reverse judgment overturns, sets aside, and vacates the lower court's decision, and removes the default judgment that was entered by the lower court. You must be able to prove that you were unable to defend yourself when the default judgment was entered against you. To have grounds for a reverse judgment, you will want to obtain copies of all of the original paperwork and peruse the paperwork for errors. You will want to check the personal information and notification procedures closely, as these provide the majority of the grounds for a rehearing.
Foreign judgments are also possible to have enforced in the United States. The United States and several other countries have treaties that enable some foreign judgments to be enforced in court. There are also cases of "foreign judgments" between states. Some judgments can be domesticated and moved from one state to another, such as child support and other domestic type judgments. These types of foreign judgments can also be entered on your credit report, so it is best to try to clear them up as soon as possible.
