Court action

A creditor can apply for a money judgment to recover an unpaid debt through the courts.

The court used depends on the type of debt and the amount owed. Further costs will be added if court action is started.

To recover the debt through the courts the creditor must first have sent you a default notice, giving you time to pay the arrears.

A money judgment will be issued, stating how much you have to pay. This judgment will appear on your file with credit reference agencies for six years.

If you can not pay straight away, you will be sent a ‘Notice of Intention to Enforce a Money Judgment’. You then have ten days to either pay the debt or come to an agreement with the creditor to pay them by instalments.

If you are not able to do this, the creditor can ask the Enforcement of Judgment Office (EJO) to collect the money. This must be done within three months of the judgment.

The EJO has powers to collect unpaid money judgments in various ways and if the debt gets to this stage, extra charges may be added.

You can also find further information from Northern Ireland Court Service.

FAQs

Can a money judgment be enforced elsewhere in the UK?

Northern Ireland > Creditor action > Court action

If you have a money judgment from a Northern Ireland court, the creditor can apply for permission to enforce the debts through other UK courts.

This means that if you move elsewhere in the UK, the creditor can still use court enforcement. These types of enforcement may differ and you should look under the England and Wales or Scotland section of the InfoCentre for more information.

There is a fee to do this, and this will be added to the total you owe.

Who else will know if I get a money judgment?

Northern Ireland > Creditor action > Court action

As well as the creditor, the judgment will be recorded on your file with credit reference agencies for six years.

It will also appear on the Public Register of Debtors for six years. This is public information which may be checked by anyone contacting the Enforcement of Judgments Office.

If i have a money judgment should I pay the creditor or the court?

Northern Ireland > Creditor action > Court action

If you have a money judgment, you should contact the creditor to make payment.

If a ‘Notice of Intention to Enforce a Money Judgment’ has been issued, you should still contact the creditor.

If a ‘Custody Warrant’ has been issued, all further payments should be made to the Enforcement of Judgments Office, making cheques or postal orders payable to ‘EJO’.