Winning the Battle: A Practical Guide to Overcoming County Court Judgements
A County Court Judgement (CCJ) is a court order that is issued against you or your business if you do not repay a creditor. The judge is instructing you to repay the sum owed through this order.
For example, if you have an unpaid bill and disregard all reminder letters and phone calls about it, the creditor you owe will eventually lose patience with you. This is typically when they take you to court to seek a court order or a CCJ. The CCJ should not startle you because your creditor should have forewarned you with a ‘default notice‘ or a ‘letter before action’.
I was served with a CCJ.
The CCJ will be delivered in the shape of a letter from the county court that issued the judgment. Three papers will be attached to the letter:
N1 – Indicate the sum owed.
N9A – An application document.
N9B is a defensive shape.
If you have received a CCJ but don’t know who it’s from, this article will help you to figure out what to do next.
If you acknowledge you are liable for the specified debt, you must complete and submit the N1 and N9A forms within 16 days. Complete all parts and talk about payment options based on your income and expenses. If you need assistance with this, please email us.
However, if you want to contest the court ruling, you must fill out the N9B form. To dispute the court order, you will need to get in touch with us as soon as possible to discuss your options.
How to Handle a CCJ
To successfully deal with a CCJ, you must take several critical steps. This procedure is straightforward.
It is critical that you deal with a CCJ as soon as feasible in order to avoid further action.
To begin, ensure that the paperwork obtained is legitimate and from the courts, rather than simply a threat of legal action. Everything you need to look for to guarantee this is a genuine CCJ is covered above.
Fill out the N1 with the amount owed, as well as the N9A or N9B based on whether you want to pay or contest the CCJ.
When you obtain a CCJ, it is recorded on your credit file for six years, unless you pay the debt within 30 days of receiving the CCJ, in which case it is not recorded. The CCJ will typically specify the monthly amount that you must pay, but you may be able to make your own payment offer. If creditors are not satisfied with the offer of payment or if you do not react to this order, they have the right to demand the entire amount right away.
If you fail to make your payments for any reason, the creditor can petition the court to take further action, such as sending bailiffs, an attachment of an earnings order, or a charging order.
If you notify the creditor of a change in circumstances, it may be possible to adjust the amount paid and prevent any severe consequences.
What If I Disregard A CCJ?
Even if you believe you do not owe money to the creditor, a CCJ should never be disregarded. While being the subject of a CCJ is not a criminal offense, and the judgment cannot compel you to repay the amount stated, it can lead to further action from your creditors. They may use third-party debt collectors as well as bailiffs or High Court Enforcement Officers (HCEOs) to reclaim assets worth the amount of the debt. The judgment will harm your credit report, making it more difficult to obtain credit, loans, and finance in the future.
As you can see from the above article a CCJ is a serious matter and should be taken seriously. If you have any questions about how to deal with a CCJ in a correct manner, please feel free to contact us.