How to Repair a Credit Report With a Judgment Removed

Judgments on credit reports are orders from a court to pay obligations. They mean that a creditor brought a suit against you in court and won. These are seriously damaging to your credit. If you've paid a judgment, it doesn't necessarily mean that your credit will immediately improve. It could remain on your report for up to seven years. There are steps to take, however, to improve your credit after you've satisfied a judgment.

Instructions

1

Make several photocopies of the paid-in-full letter from the creditor owning the judgment. You'll need this to prove to the credit bureaus that the obligation is satisfied. Send this letter to any credit report reporting the unpaid judgment. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to get free copies of your report. See Resources for the contact information for all credit bureaus.

2

Review the rest of your credit report. Look for other negative items, like accounts in default, accounts over their credit limit, liens, accounts in collections and excessive inquiries (more than six in a six-month period). These are a top priority as you begin repairing your credit.

3

Pay delinquent accounts so that they are current. Get payoff statements for all collection accounts and liens. Schedule a new repayment on these accounts or pay them in a lump sum, if possible. Halt all borrowing on over-limit and high-limit credit cards.

4

Draft a goodwill letter. This is a plea to remove certain items from a credit report. It is entirely up to the credit bureaus whether they comply with your request. In the letter, include your name, Social Security number, address, contact information and account numbers. Also include the paid-in-full letter for the satisfied judgment. Reference any positive elements on your credit that may help your argument--good pay history on other accounts, reduced debt or reduced inquiries. (See Resources for a sample goodwill letter.)

5

Send the letter to all credit bureaus reporting the paid judgment. Credit bureaus must respond to the inquiry within 30 days of receiving the letter. They then must take action (or deny the request) after an additional 90 days.