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Step 1
Obtain copies of your credit report. By filling out a quick online request contacting the credit bureaus by phone or mail, you can receive copies of your credit report from the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. For a fee, each credit bureau will send you a report noting the negative, or potentially negative aspects of your credit report. If there is a judgment listed, this will be highlighted in that section. See References.
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Step 2
Understand how judgments are reported. A judgment typically appears on your credit report when a debtor sues you and judgment has been rendered. In that instance, the debt obligation has made it to collections and the creditor or collections agency has taken further legal action by serving you with notice about it and filing suit. Once this happens, you are typically given 30 days to contest the debt and get the case dismissed. To be successful at this, you must prove that the debt is not yours. If it is yours, the case will be granted in the creditor or collections agency's favor and a judgment will be rendered in their favor. As such, this judgment will appear on your credit report. Therefore, it is important to make careful note of the section marked judgments.
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Step 3
Review the information about the judgment and obtain supporting documents.
If the judgment is accurate and has not been satisfied, you may want to contact the judgment creditor or the person who received the judgment against you, to negotiate a money settlement in exchange for a release of the judgment. Get this release in writing to provide to the court and credit bureaus so that the judgment will be changed to "satisfied."
If the judgment is correct but has been satisfied for seven years, you can request that it be eliminated from your credit report. Contact the person or entity who obtained the judgment against you and the court that issued it, to request documentation stating that you have paid the judgment in full. -
Step 4
Contact each credit bureau to contest the judgment listed on the credit report.
Each credit bureau will have a system of challenging information on your credit report. There are three ways to do this: 1) Online in the provided format on the credit bureau's website 2) By telephone 3) In writing. If you initiate a dispute in writing via postal mail, you should be able to provide written documentation along with your letter to support your case.
By initiating a dispute, the credit bureau will be required to begin an investigation into the matter. By law, they have 30 days to act. You can expedite this investigation by providing supporting documentation to show why the judgment should be removed. For instance if you are certain you paid the judgment off, you can include the canceled check to show that the payment has been made.
Once the investigation is concluded, the credit bureau will make a decision in regard to your dispute and will update your credit report. -
Step 5
Obtain updated copies of your credit report. Request credit reports from all three credit bureaus once again. The bureaus typically will send you a letter stating the resolution of the matter, but you should make sure that your dispute truly was resolved and your credit report was changed in your favor. Once your credit report has been updated, send copies to any businesses that have recently requested a credit check on you.
