How We Buy Judgments
The complete process — from your first contact to cash in your account. No surprises, no hidden steps.
The short version
You submit your judgment for evaluation. We review it and call you back within one business day with a specific offer — not a range, not a “maybe.” If you accept, we send a two-page agreement, you sign, and we wire you the money. Then we take over everything.
Most transactions close within two weeks of first contact. The whole process is designed to be fast and straightforward — because you’ve already waited long enough.
Step by step
Step 1 — Submit your evaluation request
Fill out the evaluation form at /contact/. We’ll ask for: the judgment amount, the type of case, the debtor’s name and state, and whether the judgment was fully litigated or entered by default. You can also upload the judgment document if you have it handy. Takes about five minutes.
Step 2 — We evaluate (one business day)
We review your submission against our acceptance criteria: judgment origin, face value, age, debtor profile, and prior collection history. We pull what public records we can on the debtor — property ownership, business registrations, known addresses. Then we call you.
Step 3 — We make you a specific offer
We tell you what we’ll pay. A dollar amount, not a percentage range. You’ll know exactly what you’d receive if you sell. There’s no obligation to accept, and no pressure. If the offer doesn’t work for you, that’s fine.
Step 4 — You decide
Take as much time as you need. We don’t put expiration dates on our offers. If you want to get a second opinion from another buyer, do it — we’d rather you sell to us because the offer is right than because you felt rushed.
Step 5 — We send the assignment agreement
If you accept, we prepare a simple Assignment of Judgment — a two-page California standard form that transfers your judgment rights to us. We send it electronically. You can have an attorney review it before signing if you’d like.
Step 6 — You get paid
Once both parties have signed, we wire the agreed amount to your bank account. Typically within 3–5 business days of a fully executed agreement. We’ll send a wire confirmation when it’s sent.
Step 7 — We handle the rest
From the moment you sign, the judgment is ours. All enforcement costs, attorney fees, court fees, and collection efforts are our problem. You won’t hear from us again unless you want to ask how it’s going. There are no clawbacks, no chargebacks, and no contingencies in the agreement. Your payment is yours.
How we value a judgment
Every judgment is different. Here’s what we look at:
- Face value. The principal amount owed at entry, plus any accrued post-judgment interest (10% per year in California).
- Age. A three-year-old judgment from a well-documented commercial case is more valuable than one entered nine years ago.
- Debtor profile. Does the debtor own real property? Have an active business? Receive a regular paycheck? Identifiable bank accounts? Collectibility drives value.
- Litigation history. Fully litigated judgments (both sides appeared) are more durable than default judgments. We factor this into our offer.
- Prior collection attempts. If you’ve already tried to collect, tell us what happened. It helps us calibrate the difficulty.
- Document quality. A certified copy of the judgment and an abstract of judgment on file in the debtor’s county make a cleaner transaction.
Most purchases close at 30–65% of face value. We’ll give you a specific number once we’ve reviewed your submission.
Common questions about the process
Is there any cost to get an evaluation?
No. The evaluation is completely free. We only make money if we buy your judgment — and we only buy it if the numbers work for both of us.
What happens if I accept and then the debtor pays me directly?
Once the assignment is signed, you no longer hold the judgment — we do. If the debtor contacts you after that, refer them to us. Payments made to you after assignment belong to us under the agreement.
Can I sell part of a judgment?
Generally no — we purchase the full judgment. Partial assignments create complex ownership questions that complicate enforcement. We buy the whole thing or we pass.
What if there’s already a lien on the debtor’s property?
A recorded abstract of judgment creates a lien automatically. That’s usually a positive — it means there’s real property collateral. Other liens (mortgages, other judgments) affect priority but don’t necessarily block collection. Tell us what you know.
Do you work with attorneys?
Yes. We work directly with judgment holders and their attorneys. If your attorney holds the judgment or is involved in the sale, they’re welcome to participate in the process.
Ready to sell?
Submit your judgment for a free evaluation. We’ll call you back within one business day with a specific offer.