Pay the Judgment Voluntarily
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If you lose your small claims case (or your appeal) and the judgment against you is final, you can choose to pay the judgment voluntarily. You can pay the creditor directly. If you do, make sure you get proof of payment like a receipt, a cancelled check or some other proof. The creditor will have to fill out a form to let the court know that you paid the judgment, and if he or she does not do this, you will have to prove to the court that you paid it. Click for information on what to do once you pay your judgment.
You can also pay the judgment directly to the court, instead of to the creditor
A debtor in a small claims case can pay the judgment directly to the court. Often this is done so that the debtor can immediately get proof of payment from the court in order to clear their credit record.
To pay the judgment to the court, fill out and file a Request to Pay Judgment to Court (Form SC-145).
If you pay the judgment to the court, you must pay:
- The principal amount of the judgment;
- Costs after judgment;
- Interest accrued on the judgment; and
- The court's processing fee (usually $25).
The court will let the creditor know that that the judgment has been paid so you do not have to.