If you’ve failed to repay money owed towards your debt, a creditor may take court action to force you to begin making payments again.
They’ll often apply for a County Court Judgment, also known as a CCJ, to be issued if they don’t believe you’ll repay what you owe.
To check if you have a CCJ, you can search the Register of Judgments Orders, and Fines, which is maintained by the Registry Trust.
You can do this online by visiting the Trust’s website and paying a small fee. You’ll need to provide some personal details, such as your name and address, to complete the search.
Alternatively, you can check your credit report, which will show any CCJs that have been registered against you.
In this article we’ll discuss how to check if you have a CCJ in more detail.
What is a County Court Judgment (CCJ)?
A County Court Judgment, sometimes known as a County Court Summons, is a type of court order available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In Scotland, a CCJ (County Court Judgment) is referred to as a “decree” in the legal system.
Creditors may apply to the court for a CCJ if you don’t keep up with debt repayments as per your credit agreements.
In short, they may use a County Court Judgment as a way of forcing you to repay what you owe.
A CCJ will typically be brought against you by one of your creditors who will write to the court explaining why they feel the CCJ is warranted.
Can a CCJ affect your credit rating?
Yes, a County Court Judgment (CCJ) can have a significant negative impact on your credit rating.
When a CCJ is issued against you, it’s recorded in the Register of Judgments, Orders, and Fines, which is a public register accessible by anyone for a small fee.
It will also appear on your credit report, which can be accessed by lenders, letting agencies, credit reference agencies, and certain employers.
A CCJ will be recorded on your credit file for six years from the date of the judgment.
You may find it more difficult to borrow money or obtain credit such as loans, credit cards, or a mortgage during this time.
This is because lenders will view your credit history, and a CCJ can be seen as an indication that you are a higher risk borrower.
As a result, lenders may offer you less favourable interest rates, or they may reject your application for credit altogether.
It’s important to pay the full amount of the CCJ within one month of the judgment being made to avoid it affecting your credit rating.
If you can’t pay it off in full, it is advisable to contact the creditor to arrange a payment plan. Once the CCJ has been paid, you can apply to have it marked as “satisfied” on the public register, and it will no longer negatively affect your credit rating.
How do you find out what a CCJ is for?
It is important to find out what a CCJ is for as it can affect your ability to borrow money in the future and may also have other implications.
CCJs can be issued for a variety of reasons, such as failing to repay debts, not paying other credit agreements, or breaching a contract.
If you’re unsure what a CCJ is for, there are several ways to find out:
Check your credit report
A CCJ will appear on your credit report. You can check this with the help of a credit reference agency.
There are three main credit reference agencies in the UK – Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion.
Your credit report will show any judgments that have been registered against you, along with details of the creditor who obtained the judgment.
Contact the court
You can contact the court that issued the CCJ for further information. You’ll need to provide your name and address, as well as the case number if you have it.
Contact the creditor
If you’re unsure who the creditor is, you can reach out to the court for this information. You can contact them to find out more about the CCJ and why it was issued.
How long do County Court Judgments last?
A CCJ stays on the Register of Judgments, Orders, and Fines for six years from the date of the judgment.
However, if the full amount is paid within the month, the CCJ will be marked as “satisfied” on the public register, and it won’t appear on your credit report.
If the CCJ is not paid in full within a calendar month, it will remain on the register for six years, and it will negatively affect your credit score during this time.
It will also be visible to lenders and credit reference agencies.
It’s possible to have a CCJ removed from the register before the six years are up if you can demonstrate that it was issued incorrectly, or if you pay the debt in full and obtain a certificate of satisfaction from the court.
However, this process can be complicated, and it is advisable to seek legal advice if you are considering this option.
Where can you see a CCJ?
As mentioned, a County Court Judgment can be viewed on the Register of Judgments, Orders, and Fines. This is an official statutory register that can be accessed by the public.
If you have a CCJ, people will be able to see personal detail such as your name and address, the case number, when the judgment was issued, and the amount of money owed.
In addition, a CCJ will also appear on your credit file. It’s important to remember that a CCJ will negatively affect your credit score and will appear on your credit record for six years.
As already stated, this could make it more difficult to apply for future credit, open a bank account, or access other credit agreements.
If your CCJ is more than six years old, it’ll be automatically removed from the register, even if it hasn’t been paid.
Can you check for a CCJ online?
Yes, you can check for a judgment online by visiting the Registry Trust website.
To search for judgments orders and fines you’ll need to input your own details or the name, address, or company name of the business you want to check.
You’ll need to pay a fee to perform a search, which will allow you to view any CCJs that have been issued against the person or business in question.
If you’re worried about debt, and are unsure if you’ve been issued with a CCJ, you should check the Registry Trust site or seek professional debt help as soon as possible to avoid further action being taken.
Can you receive a County Court Judgment without knowing?
It’s possible to receive a CCJ without knowing – especially if you have a new address.
However, there are legal requirements that must be met before a CCJ can be issued.
To issue a CCJ, a creditor must first issue a claim form to your last known address. This will set out the details of the debt and provide a deadline for you to respond.
If you don’t respond within the deadline, the court may issue a CCJ against you in your absence.
If you have moved and the form was sent to your old address, you also may not receive it, and the court may issue a CCJ against you in your absence.
In this case, you may be able to apply to have the CCJ set aside if you can demonstrate that you did not receive the claim form and that you have a defence to the claim.
You should make an effort to ensure your contact details up to date and to respond to any claim forms that you receive to avoid the risk of a CCJ being issued against you without your knowledge.
What happens if you ignore a CCJ?
Ignoring a CCJ can have serious consequences.
If you do not respond to the CCJ or pay the debt in full within one calendar month of the judgment being made, the creditor can take further legal action to enforce the judgment.
Action can include:
- Bailiffs: May be sent to your home to seize goods or property to sell to pay off the debt.
- Charging order: The creditor may apply for a charging order, which would give them a legal claim over your property. If the property is sold, the creditor would receive the proceeds of the sale to pay off the debt.
- Attachment of earnings: The company you money to may apply for an attachment of earnings order, which would require your employer to deduct money from your wages to pay off the debt.
- Winding-up order or bankruptcy: In some cases, if you owe a large amount of debt and you are unable to, the creditor may apply for a winding-up order (if you are a company) or a bankruptcy order (if you are an individual). This could result in your assets being sold to pay off the money owed.
It is important to take action as soon as possible if you receive a CCJ, even if you cannot afford to pay the debt in full. Contacting the creditor to set up a payment plan or seeking professional debt advice can help to avoid further legal action and protect your assets.
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Can a CCJ be removed from the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines
If your CCJ is more than six years old it’ll be automatically removed from the register.
However, you might be able to have your entry removed if you can prove to the court that you don’t owe the debt or you paid the debt off within a month of the judgment.
Pay within a month
As mentioned, paying the CCJ in full within one month of the judgment being made will prevent it from appearing on your report or having a negative impact on your credit score.
If the CCJ is paid in full after one month, it will still appear on your credit report, but it will be marked as “satisfied,” which is viewed more favourably by credit reference agencies and lenders.
Setting aside
If you believe you don’t owe the debt and have a legal reason for not owing it, you can apply to have your case reopened by the court and have the CCJ set aside.
You can ask for this by filling in the N244 form but will likely need to pay to have the case relooked at.
If the court agrees your CCJ will be removed – this can take up to four weeks.,
Waiting six years
Waiting for the six-year period to elapse is also an option. Once the six-year period is up, the CCJ will be removed from your credit report.
What should you do if you receive a CCJ?
If you receive a County Court Judgment (CCJ), there are several steps you can take to deal with it:
- Check the details: Make sure that the details of the CCJ are correct and that you agree with the amount that is owed. If you believe that there is an error, you can challenge the judgment by contacting the court.
- Pay the CCJ in full: If you can afford to do so, it is generally advisable to pay the CCJ in full within a calendar month of the judgment being made. This will prevent it from appearing on your credit report or having a negative impact on your credit score.
- Set up a payment plan: If you cannot afford to pay the CCJ in full, you can contact the creditor to set up a payment plan. This will allow you to repay the debt in instalments over time.
- Get advice: If you are unsure how to deal with the CCJ, or if you believe that it has been issued incorrectly, you may wish to seek legal advice from a solicitor or a debt advice service.
- Monitor your credit report: Once you have dealt with the CCJ, it is important to monitor your credit report regularly to ensure that it has been updated and that the CCJ has been marked as “satisfied” or removed from your record after the six-year period has elapsed.
Where can you find debt help?
If you’re worried about debt and are struggling to stay on top of payments, it’s important to seek professional support as soon as possible.
Carrington Dean is a leading debt help company, dedicated to providing support to people in need.
As well as offering advice about how to manage your debt, including what to do if you receive a CCJ, as well as what solutions are available to you depending on where you live in the UK.
You could qualify to write off up to 70% of your debt with a Trust Deed or reduce monthly payments to an affordable amount with a Debt Arrangement Scheme.
