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Judgment 18 years ago

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California. When I was 18 I was sued for a large sum of money in a civil court case, I went to the 1st hearing but could not afford a attorney at the time, so skipped the rest and lost by default.
I remember that the other attorney mentioned that they would wait till I bought a house and put a lean on it.
It has been 18 years and nothing shows up on my credit reports. Can the judgement be hidden somewhere if they did not report it to the credit agencies?
I'm looking to purchase a house soon and don't want to have a lien on it right after the purchase.
I was never informed of any renewal for the judgement. Never heard anything from it again after not going to court
 


xylene

Senior Member
A large amount can mean a lot of things to different people.

How much in rough terms 5,000 dollars, 30,000 dollars, 8 million bucks...
What is the amount (or ballpark range if you'd rather not say)?

If you can afford a house, you should get a professional to look into the matter discretely.

You may need to file bankruptcy if the judgment is still active, I'm sorry if that may set back your home buying plans.
 
The judgement was split between 3 people and the sum was 433,000.
If it was renewed would I of need notified? My credit score is close to 800.
 

xylene

Senior Member
If it was renewed would I of need notified?
Yes, but notice doens't mean they have to prove you recieved acknowledge and understood the renewal paperwork.

How can I go about to see if the judgement is still active?
You hire a lawyer or investigator who can discretely look into the matter to see if the judgment has lapsed or been renewed without alerting the creditor to your interest in the matter and your now solvent financial situation.

Plus since you intend to rely on this advice to protect a substantial asset (your home) - you want someone who can give you concrete assurance.
 

xylene

Senior Member
To expand on not counting on defective notice: Can you prove that you didn't get a peice of mail ~10 years ago?
 
No way to prove that. What is the best way to find a lawyer for this? And any ideas on a fair price that I would be required to pay?
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
California. When I was 18 I was sued for a large sum of money in a civil court case, I went to the 1st hearing but could not afford a attorney at the time, so skipped the rest and lost by default.
I remember that the other attorney mentioned that they would wait till I bought a house and put a lean on it.
It has been 18 years and nothing shows up on my credit reports. Can the judgement be hidden somewhere if they did not report it to the credit agencies?
I'm looking to purchase a house soon and don't want to have a lien on it right after the purchase.
I was never informed of any renewal for the judgement. Never heard anything from it again after not going to court
A civil judgment in CA is good for 10 years. However, it can be renewed and it can be renewed in the 10th year. So, its possible that the judgment is still out there, even though it does not show up on your credit report. Things fall off your credit report after 7 years, so even a renewed judgment might have just fallen off your credit report in the last year. Or, they may never have put it on your credit report at all, although that would seem shortsighted of them.

Who was it that sued you, and why?
 

xylene

Senior Member
The rules of this forum prevent recommendations of specific lawyers. But a great resource would be The State Bar of California, which has information on lawyers and a referral service. If you have price expectations or concerns, be up front with the lawyers you contact and ask them information about rates and for estimates of expected billed hours. They understand their clients have a budget.
 
Had a friend look up the case, they sent me a long email of the hearings. But at the top it said this...

Filing Courthouse: Stanley Mosk Courthouse
Filing Date: 11/03/2000
Case Type: Civil Rights (General Jurisdiction)
Status: Dismissed - Other 07/24/2002




So does that mean that the case got thrown out, or does the "other" mean it could still be problems?
 

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