How to Remove a Judgment Lien

A judgment appearing on your credit report reflects negatively on your credit history. It shows irresponsibility to prospective lenders and even employers. Essentially, a judgment is a court-mandated lien. This appears on your credit report when a creditor (or individual) has successfully proven to a judge that your delinquent debt is outstanding. Removing judgments--even paid ones--can be challenging but it is possible to do so.

Instructions

1

Get a valid and updated copy of your credit report from www.annualcreditreport.com. This site is governed by the federal government and offers all consumers access to copies of a report from all three credit bureaus--TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Highlight the judgment.

2

Collect all documents relating to the judgment. Scan through these documents and look for any evidence of illegitimacy. The best and easiest way to clear a judgment on a credit report is to have the court vacate the judgment. If the debt is not yours or was filed incorrectly, you may have a case.

3

File a Motion to Vacate if you have supporting documentation. This must be filed at the court that initially ordered the judgment. See the court clerk for a Motion to Vacate form. This will prompt a hearing and the judge will decide if your claim has merit.

4

Pay the judgment if it is currently outstanding and legitimate. You must first repay the debt, if it is valid, prior to removing it from your credit report. You can attempt to settle the debt with the holding lender if you'd like (which will reduce the debt) but this will further weaken your credit.

5

Draft a Goodwill Letter. This is a letter to the credit bureaus. The credit bureaus are entitled to keep judgments (even paid ones) on consumer credit reports for a period of seven years. A Goodwill Letter is essentially a plea to remove the judgment from your credit report. Included in the letter must be the account number, a mention of positive credit factors on your report and an indication of your improved credit history.

6

Make copies of the Goodwill Letters and send the originals to the three credit bureaus (see Resources for contact information). Include copies of the paid judgment and any other documents supporting your case. Credit bureaus must respond to all inquiries within 30 days.