What is a CCJ?: A CCJ stands for County Court Judgment and it could land you in more debt than you bargained for if you don’t know what it is and how to deal with it. Here’s what you need to know about the CCJ; like what is a CCJ, how to deal with it and how to get rid of one if you already have one against you.
What is a CCJ
A CCJ is a court order that’s issued when you fail to repay the money you owe. If you’re struggling to make repayments, it’s important to speak to your lender as soon as possible to try and come to an arrangement.
If a CCJ is issued, it’ll be recorded on your credit file for six years and could make it difficult to get credit in the future. There are ways to deal with a CCJ, so if you’re facing one, don’t panic – there is help available.
Who Can Issue Them
A CCJ can be issued by any county court in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. The court will issue the judgment if you owe money to someone and they’ve taken you to court to try and get the money back.
What Happens When You Get One
Once a CCJ has been issued, it’ll be recorded on your credit file for six years. This could make it harder for you to get credit in the future. The judgment will also show up on public records, like the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines.
How Much Do You Owe
You’ll need to repay the full amount of money that you owe, plus any interest that’s been added.
Where To Look For Them
There are a few places you can look to find out if you have any CCJs against you. The first place to check is the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for England and Wales. This is a public register that anyone can search. If you have a CCJ against you, it will be listed here.
You can also check the Scottish Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines or the Northern Ireland Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines. These are both public registers that anyone can search. Finally, you can check your credit report.
How To Deal With Them
If you receive a CCJ, it’s important to take action immediately. The first step is to find out what the CCJ is for and how much you owe. You can do this by contacting the court that issued the judgment or by searching the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines online.
Once you know what the CCJ is for, you can start making payments towards the debt. If you’re unable to pay the full amount, you can negotiate with the creditor to come up with a repayment plan. If you’re still having trouble making payments, there are other options available, such as requesting a time-to-pay order from the court or setting up an arrangement through an insolvency practitioner.
How to get a CCJ marked as ‘satisfied’
If you have paid the full amount of the judgment, you can apply to have the CCJ ‘satisfied’. This means that it will be removed from your credit file. You will need to send proof of payment to the court, and they will then update the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines.
If you have only paid part of the judgment, you can still apply to have it satisfied, but you will need to include evidence of your partial payment along with your application. The court will then decide whether or not to grant your request. If they do, they will update the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines accordingly.
How to get a CCJ cancelled/ ‘set aside’
If you believe that the CCJ was issued in error, you can apply to have it set aside. To do this, you’ll need to fill out an N244 form and submit it to the court. You’ll also need to pay a £255 court fee. If the court agrees that the CCJ was issued in error, they’ll cancel it and refund your court fee.
If you can’t afford to pay the full amount of the CCJ, you can apply to have it ‘suspended’. This means that you don’t have to make any payments on the debt until your financial situation improves. To do this, you’ll need to fill out an N245 form and submit it to the court.
How a CCJ affects your credit record
A CCJ will stay on your credit file for six years2 and will make it harder to get credit during that time. Even after the six years is up, lenders will still be able to see the CCJ on your file when they do a search of your credit history.
This means that you may still find it difficult to get certain types of credit, such as a mortgage. If you’re struggling to get credit because of a CCJ, there are a few things you can do.
You can try to get the CCJ removed from your file by making a full and final settlement with the creditor, or by asking the court to set aside the judgment. You can also try repairing your credit file by taking out small amounts of credit and making all of your repayments on time.
Deadline for replying to a CCJ claim form
If you’re served with a claim form, you’ll have 14 days to respond. If you don’t reply within this time, the claimant can ask the court for a ‘default judgment’. This means the court will automatically award the claimant the money they’re claiming, without hearing your side of the story.
The court will take into account any defence you put forward in your response when deciding whether or not to grant a default judgment. If you don’t think you owe the money, or if you dispute the amount claimed, you’ll need to give your reasons in your defence. You should also say what steps if any, you’ve already taken to try and resolve the debt.
How to avoid receiving a CCJ
There are a few things you can do to avoid receiving a CCJ in the UK. First, make sure you keep up with your repayments. If you’re struggling to make repayments, contact your creditor as soon as possible to discuss your options.
You can also try to negotiate a repayment plan that works for both of you. If you receive a letter from a court claiming you owe money, don’t ignore it! This will only make the situation worse. Instead, seek professional help to understand what’s going on and how to resolve the issue.
Finally, remember that receiving a CCJ doesn’t mean the end of the world. There are ways to deal with it and move on.
Wrapping Up
By now you have learned what is a CCJ UK. We are sure that you must be feeling prepared to tackle a CCJ head-on, should it ever cross paths with you.
