How to Remove Judgments On Your Credit Report

If you lose a lawsuit to a creditor, the court awards the creditor a money judgment against you. A judgment not only puts you at risk of wage garnishment and bank levies, it tarnishes your credit rating. The Fair Credit Reporting Act mandates that a court judgment will remain a negative feature of your credit history for seven years or the length of time the judgment is enforceable in your state -- whichever is longer. The credit bureaus sometimes make errors when collecting public record information from the courts. This could result in someone else's judgment showing up on your credit report and damaging your score. While you do not have the right to remove a legitimate judgment record from your credit history, you can and should fight an erroneous judgment record.

Instructions

1

Request a copy of your credit report. You can purchase your credit history from any of the three major credit bureaus -- Equifax, TransUnion or Experian -- or you can pull your free annual credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com.

2

Write down the docket number of the judgment on your credit report. The judgment itself should appear in the "Public Information" section of your report.

3

Visit the courthouse that originally awarded the judgment. Provide the clerk with the docket number and ask for a copy of the judgment. The copy of the judgment should list the name and address of the original defendant.

4

Make a copy of the judgment for your own records. Make a copy of your driver's license or other photo identification that proves your identity.

5

Write a letter to the credit bureau reporting the inaccurate judgment. Explain that the judgment does not belong to you yet appears on your credit history. Ask that the credit bureau immediately investigate and remove the item. Note that you are including a copy of your photo identification to verify that the judgment was not awarded against you.

6

Circle or highlight the judgment record on your credit report. This helps the credit bureau locate the disputed record more quickly.

7

Send your letter, the certified copy of the judgment, the copy of your photo identification and your credit report with the judgment circled or highlighted to the credit bureau whose record reflects the judgment. Federal law gives the credit bureau 30 days to investigate your dispute and delete the judgment from your credit history.