Court judgments › Judgment buyers
Judgment buyers: sell your court judgment for cash
Short answer: Judgment buyers pay cash for a money judgment and take it over by a written assignment filed with the court. What they pay depends on how collectable the debtor is, not the face amount. SellChargeOffs is a seller-side service: we prepare your judgment and match it with vetted buyers, and we never contact debtors.
Have a judgment to sell? Send the basics (court, date, amount, debtor type). No consumer personal data is needed at this stage, and we sign a mutual NDA before anything detailed is shared.
How does selling a judgment to a buyer work?
- Check the judgment. It should be final, not under appeal or satisfied, and still enforceable. Renew it first if your state allows and it is near expiry.
- Share the basics. Court, case number, entry date, amount, payments since, and whether the debtor is a business or a consumer.
- Buyer review. Buyers look at the debtor's assets and income, the time left to enforce, and the paperwork.
- Compare offers. Confirm whether each is a cash purchase or a contingency/assignment for collection, who pays court costs, and whether the buyer is licensed where required.
- Sign the assignment. A written assignment of judgment, usually notarized, transfers all rights to the buyer.
- File it and get paid. The assignment or the state's acknowledgment form (California Judicial Council form EJ-100 in California) is filed with the court so the buyer becomes assignee of record, and payment is made under the purchase agreement.
What documents do judgment buyers ask for?
- Certified copy of the judgment and the case docket
- Proof you are the judgment creditor of record, plus any earlier assignments
- Abstract of judgment or recorded judgment liens, if any
- Record of payments and credits since entry
- Renewal or extension orders, if the judgment has been renewed
- Known debtor information: last address, employer, bank, real estate, vehicles or business
- Any prior collection activity: writs, levies, garnishments, debtor exams
Cash sale or collection agency?
A cash sale moves the risk to the buyer. A contingency agency keeps a share only if it collects, and you keep ownership. See the side-by-side comparison in judgment collection agency vs. selling a judgment, or the full guide to selling a judgment.
What affects what buyers pay?
- Debtor collectability (wages, accounts, property, an operating business)
- Remaining enforceable life and renewability
- Commercial vs. consumer debtor (consumer judgments bring FDCPA duties, 15 U.S.C. § 1692a)
- Size, age, payments and any bankruptcy filing
- Post-judgment interest under your state's rate
We do not publish judgment prices because there is no reliable public benchmark. Use the Debt Pricing Guide for cited debt-market data.
What are the judgment rules in each state?
Each state guide covers lifespan and renewal, post-judgment interest, assignment filing and licensing, with official sources.
What else do sellers ask?
Who buys court judgments?
Specialist judgment buyers, debt buyers, some collection agencies and collection law firms, and private investors. Many accept only commercial judgments or set minimum balances.
How much do judgment buyers pay?
There is no standard price. Buyers price on how collectable the debtor is (wages, bank accounts, real estate, an operating business), the judgment's remaining enforceable life, its size and age, and the paperwork. Any quote that ignores the debtor is not a real offer, so compare several.
Is a cash offer the same as an assignment for collection?
No. In an outright sale you are paid now and the buyer takes all rights. In an assignment for collection or a contingency placement you are paid only from what is later collected. Ask every buyer which one they are offering.
Do judgment buyers need a license?
It depends on the state and on the debt. A buyer collecting consumer debt for itself can be a "debt collector" under the federal FDCPA definition (15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6)), and many states license collectors or debt buyers. Commercial judgments are generally outside the FDCPA. Check the state guide for where the judgment was entered.
How is ownership transferred?
You sign a written assignment of judgment, and it (or a state acknowledgment form) is filed with the court that entered the judgment, so the buyer becomes the assignee of record. California, for example, uses form EJ-100.
Can I sell a judgment that is close to expiring?
Usually only after renewing it, if your state allows renewal. Buyers discount judgments with little enforceable life left. Check your state's renewal rules first.
Have a judgment to sell? Send the basics (court, date, amount, debtor type). No consumer personal data is needed at this stage, and we sign a mutual NDA before anything detailed is shared.