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Do I still owe judgement after plantiff Corp has terminated itself?

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zdoggy911

New member
What is the name of your state? CA
I had a breech of contract judgement against me in 2005. The suit included me personally as a defendant. Plantiff was a CA corp that I'd done some software programming for. $250k judgement. They attached pay at various employers till about 2013, eventually collecting about $80k over that time. No property liens. They "renewed" the judgement in 2015 to keep it alive but haven't requested any further payment from me or through any employer since 2013. The plantiff corp hasn't done any business since about 2006. Just the business of collecting judgement from me. NOW, I just found out they finally terminated their Corp in 2021, according to state records. It's 2025 and I haven't heard from them since the judgement renewal in 2015. No indication they have transferred to anyone the "asset" of the judgement owed by me. How can ensure I'm free of this burdeness judgement?
 


adjusterjack

Senior Member
How can ensure I'm free of this burdeness judgement?
Apparently, in CA, a judgment can be renewed any number of times if done properly.

I took a brief search on CA judgment renewals. As usual, CA doesn't make anything simple.

If the judgment creditor fails to renew then the judgment might be unenforceable. I have not been able to verify that so a consult with an attorney is probably in order.
 

zdoggy911

New member
Understood.. but in addition, the plantiff (winner of the judgement) has officially terminated itself as a corp as of 2021. So there is no entity to renew the judgement. And I have not been contacted that I owe any other entity that might have purchased or assumed the "asset" (i.e. my judgement amount.) Therefore, does that mean nothing can be further collected because the plantiff no longer exists? If the entity is officially disbanded, is that "finito"? Or do I need to file something with the court to officially nail it down?
 

adjusterjack

Senior Member
There's no question that judgments can be bought and sold. You would not be privy to any transfer done internally.

2025 has only just started. I would wait until after the anniversary date and then check the case file periodically for any activity after that.

Otherwise, let sleeping dogs lie.
 

zddoodah

Active Member
They "renewed" the judgement in 2015 to keep it alive but haven't requested any further payment from me or through any employer since 2013.
I'm curious why you have the word "renewed" in quotation marks.


How can ensure I'm free of this burdeness judgement?
Time.

If the judgment was entered in 2005 and timely renewed in 2015, then it will expire in 2025 on the same day as the 2015 renewal...unless it is renewed again. While the terminated/suspended/dissolved corporation no longer has capacity to renew the judgment, it's possible that an assignee could renew it. Did the judgment creditor record a judgment lien (abstract of judgment) that is encumbering real property you own?


I took a brief search on CA judgment renewals. As usual, CA doesn't make anything simple.
Not sure what you looked at, but the California judgment renewal process is incredibly simple.


If the judgment creditor fails to renew then the judgment might be unenforceable.
That is correct.


There's no question that judgments can be bought and sold. You would not be privy to any transfer done internally.
Agree. It's possible that, prior to the dissolution, the corporation assigned the judgment to someone, and no notice to the debtor would have been required. That said, if the judgment creditor hasn't taken any action to enforce the judgment since 2013 (other than the 2015 renewal), it seems unlikely that anything further will happen.
 

quincy

Senior Member
The amount remaining due on the judgment is significant. I would be a bit surprised if the original judgment holder simply walked away from all collection activity after going to the trouble of renewing the judgment in 2015.
 

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