How to Delete a Judgment From My Credit Report

A judgment is a formal decision or order given by a court of law. With respect to your credit report, judgments pertain to decisions regarding the repayment of debt. Creditors and other lenders who see the judgment information when performing a background check may be less inclined to open a credit account for you. If the judgment information being reported is in error and does not belong on your report, you can contact the credit bureaus to have it removed. Judgment information outside the allowed reporting time period may also be removed.

Instructions

Incorrect Information

1

Draft a letter to each of the major credit bureaus -- Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Notify the bureaus that the judgment information being reported is incorrect or in error.

2

Send your letters certified, return-receipt mail. This provides proof the credit bureaus received the letters and gives you the date of receipt.

3

Await the results. Upon receipt of your letter, the credit bureaus have 30 days to conduct an investigation. Any information they cannot verify must be removed from your credit report. The investigation results must be provided to you in writing and any changes made to your credit report entitle you to a free copy.

Outdated Information

4

Review your credit report for the date of the judgment information. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, credit reporting agencies are prohibited from reporting judgments that are older than seven years from the credit report date.

5

Send a letter to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, notifying them that you wish to have the judgment information removed from your credit report because the information is older than seven years and it violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act. You can include a copy of your credit report with the judgment information circled.

6

Use certified, return-receipt mail for proof that the credit bureaus received your letter.

7

Await the credit bureaus' investigation, which can take 30 days. If the judgment information is determined to be outside the reporting time frame, it must be removed from your credit report.