How can I collect a small claims court judgment?
You will have to collect your money yourself if you win in small claims court. The court will not collect it for you. If the defendant appeared in court, you must wait at least 30 days from the date of the Entry of Judgment to collect, and at least 30 days if you have a Default Judgment. You need to check with the county sheriff in the appropriate county to see if they still serve Writs of Execution. If not, you will need to hire a process server who will serve the writ. Before having the court issue the writ, you will need to file a MEMORANDUM OF COSTS form for the process servers fee and mail a copy to the opposing side (a copy of the memorandum is in the Appendix O). If the 30th day falls on a weekend or holiday, they have one additional workday to file their appeal. The judgment is good for 10 years and can be renewed. You are entitled to interest, at the rate of 10 percent per year, beginning with the date of the Entry of Judgment. You are also entitled to payment for some of your
