What is a...

High Court Judgment

A High Court Judgment, often called an HCJ, is the High Court’s acknowledgment that a debt is legally due.

An HCJ will have started off as a County Court Judgment (CCJ), before being transferred up to the High Court. This usually happens for especially large amounts and to allow for more recovery options, such as the use of High Court enforcement agents.

How do I check for High Court Judgments lodged against me?

Any High Court Judgments matching your details that have been shared with the Credit Reference Agencies will appear on your Credit Report in the Court Records section.

You can use checkmyfile to view your Multi Agency Credit Report, which shows your complete credit information from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, all on the same, easy-to-use platform.

If you haven’t already, you can try checkmyfile free for 30 days, and then just £14.99 per month. Cancellation is quick and easy online at any time.

How do I remove a High Court Judgment from my Credit Report?

High Court Judgments, just like CCJs, are removed automatically from your Credit Report after six years have passed from the date of issue, regardless of any subsequent payment to satisfy the debt. The only exception to this is if the judgment is fully paid within first calendar month of issue, in which case the judgment will be set aside and removed from your Credit Report.

If you believe a HCJ shouldn’t have been issued, or was issued was unfairly, you can dispute the judgment by contacting the issuing court directly. They will then be able to advise on their disputes process.

Can I get a mortgage with a High Court Judgment?

HCJs are considered serious negative markers that damage your Credit Report considerably, just like a CCJ. As such, you will encounter difficulty obtaining a mortgage while you have a judgment lodged against you, even if it was fully paid within the last six years.

The negative impact of a judgment on your Credit Report comes from the marker itself, rather than the outstanding balance. This is because the fact that a claimant has had to resort to court action to reclaim owed funds is seen by lenders as a major red flag, demonstrating considerable risk that they’ll want to avoid. As lenders tend to favour low risk customers, you may find it harder and more expensive to take out a mortgage while you have a HCJ against your name.

That said, there are subprime lenders that focus specifically on borrowers with chequered credit histories.

A judgment will only stop harming your creditworthiness once it has been removed from your Credit Report, usually after six years pass from date of issue.

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