One of the more difficult things to remove off your credit report is a judgement. This article will explain one goes about how to remove a judgement from your credit report.
Now a little disclaimer. When it comes to the art of removal, know that how it is not a science, but an art. It is possible the below tactics will not work. Just be mindful of this.
Paid Judgements are Far Easier to Remove
If you have paid the judgement, the first and easiest way to remove is contact the attorney for the plaintiff and ask if they will file the motion to have the judgement vacated. Most jurisdictions will allow for this after the judgement is paid. You may have to pay a little in attorney fees, but it is worth it if it helps in removing it.
In some states, like Illinois, you do not have to contact the attorney at all. Just go to your courthouse and speak to a clerk, they will walk you through all the paperwork to motion the case back into court to have it vacated. Keep in mind this only works for a paid judgement.
Remove Public Record Information First
Knowing how to remove a judgement from credit report can be more difficult if you have not paid this. In order to remove this, you need to understand how a public record reports on your credit report. Public records, unlike normal creditor accounts, are not reported by the creditor. They are reported by third party companies who provide information to the three credit agencies. LexisNexis is an example of a company that provides this information.
The essential task is to make sure there is as little information as possible to compare the public record to your credit report. You will need to call the three credit reporting agencies and remove all old and outdated addresses, as well as any phone numbers.
The logic is, the less information you have to verify, the harder it will be for the credit reporting agencies to justify keeping information on the report.
Once you remove all old addresses and phone numbers, dispute this account through the three credit reporting agencies. After about 30 days, you will know if it has been removed or not. If the account has been removed, there is nothing further you need to do.
How To Remove a Judgement: Next Steps if First Dispute Fails
If the account was not removed, the next step is to send the credit reporting agencies a Method of Verification letter. If the credit reporting agencies continue to verify information that you deem inaccurate, you can attempt removal of the account by using a tactic called Method of Verification. This tactic is often called the secret weapon of credit repair, however, the reporting agencies have started to catch on to this tactic.
One of the major drawbacks to any dispute process initiated through a credit reporting agency is handled through a universal computer system called eOscar. The eOscar system sanitizes your dispute, turning it into a vague two digit code, which is then sent over to the furnisher of the information. This is the reason some disputes come back as verified even when you have valid factual basis for your dispute.
Once you receive notice from the credit reporting agency telling you the information you disputed has been verified as accurate, you can request the method of verification. This is your right under the FCRA section 611 (a) (7). The credit reporting agency must give you this information within 15 days of the request.
The logic behind this tactic is time. The credit reporting agencies only have 15 days to provide you the way in which they verified the information. Since your dispute was sanitized through eOscar, they must now submit the actual factual evidence you provided them and get real response within 15 days. Often, they will not complete this work in the time frame provided, which will lead to the removal of the negative information.
This article was last updated on December 24, 2022