As anyone who has been owed money understands how difficult it can be collect on some debts. The collections process can be a difficult road to travel, and even if you win a judgment in court, actually collecting on the debt can be a different animal entirely.
A prime example of this is when either you or a debtor has moved to a different state. For example, if you have obtained a judgment in a New York court, but the person who owes the debt then moves to Florida (or if you move to Florida yourself), your ability to collect the sum that you are owed becomes all the more difficult.
The process is known as the domestication of a foreign judgment — “foreign” in this case meaning that the judgment is from another state. Having an attorney who is experienced in these cases can go a long way toward collecting on a debt you might have been struggling to collect on for a long period of time.
When the court has received the correct paperwork, the debtor will be contacted by the clerk of court with a request to reply within a certain number of days. If there is no reply, the judgment will be entered. The debtor might request a hearing to dispute the judgment, but usually the debtor is not permitted to dispute the judgment or the debt itself.
Having a little knowledge about how judgments are domesticated can go a long way toward collecting on some of the peskiest debts you have outstanding.
