What is a...

County Court Judgment

A County Court Judgment (CCJ) is a court’s adjudication that having weighed up the facts, a debt is due. CCJs are severe negative markers that damage your Credit Report, and they last for six years – regardless of whether the debt is subsequently satisfied or not.

As lenders, landlords, and employers consider CCJs to signify substantial risk, having one lodged against you can make it more difficult to be accepted for credit, obtain a rental tenancy agreement, and even find employment in certain sectors.

How do I see if I’ve got a CCJ?

If a County Court has shared a record of a CCJ matching your details, it will appear on your Credit Report with the Credit Reference Agencies. You can check your complete information being reported at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion by using checkmyfile to make sure you’ve checked everywhere that matters.

Your Multi Agency Credit Report is the most detailed in the UK, and it’s free for 30 days, then just £14.99 per month – cancellation is quick and easy online at any time.

How will a CCJ appear on my Credit Report?

If you have an active CCJ, it will show up on your Credit Report. Your checkmyfile Credit Report includes information such as:

Date CCJ was issued
Court Reference Number
The amount owed
Whether the CCJ is active
How long until the CCJ drops off
Which Credit Reference Agencies are reporting the data
Contact details for the issuing court

How do I remove a CCJ from my Credit Report?

If a CCJ is issued against you, but you fully satisfy the balance within one calendar month of issue, the judgment will be set aside. The CCJ will then not appear on your Credit Report at all.

If the CCJ has been correctly issued and not satisfied in the first month, the CCJ will be removed once six years pass from date of issue. This is regardless of whether the debt is subsequently satisfied or not.

If you believe that the CCJ was incorrectly issued, you can dispute it by contacting the issuing court directly.

If you find a CCJ on your Credit Report that doesn’t relate to you (such as an incorrect name, for instance) you can contact the relevant Credit Reference Agency to dispute the entry instead.

What happens if you don’t pay a CCJ?

If you cannot pay the amount owed in one lump sum, a monthly instalment plan may be offered by the claimant. Even though a CCJ can only remain on your Credit Report for six years, a debt can be owed indefinitely, so it is possible to pay off a CCJ for longer than it appears on your report if the lender sets out a payment plan that takes more than six years to clear the debt.

If you do not pay towards the CCJ, bailiffs may be used to seize items in your property to sell and put towards the amount you owe, and a repayment plan may be put in place until the full amount is paid off.

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