Judgment Recovery | Judgment Collection
Judgment Enforcement
as a Business Opportunity

Judgment Collection as a Business
Judgment Enforcement as a Bizz Opp

This page is for those of you who have received all those emails telling
you what a great and growing business opportunity "Judgment Recovery" is.
The questions below are the ones most commonly asked of me, Charles Perez, "The Judgment Collector".

Q. Can you really make money "Enforcing Judgments"?

A. Easy Answer: It Depends.
 If the Defendant has assets that can be seized to satisfy the judgment, then the answer is "Yes", you can make money.
If the Defendant is broke - then "No", you won't make money.
(My personal theory is that is why almost 80% of judgments remain unsatisfied - the Defendant has no way of paying!)

Let's do a "Reality Check" about this industry and how my service has evolved:
I have the advantage of being a private investigator, as such, I already have access to all of the databases and resources needed to be effective in a collection. That's not to say there are some pretty good databases and resources out there for you to use.
Joining a professional organization can also get you access to some very useful services.

When I started doing this for the general public in 1991 (I began in 1985 with law firms) I accepted every judgment that was presented to me only to discover that many Defendants were a hopeless financial disaster.

So, a word to the wise: if you're crazy enough take on every judgment that comes along you'll have to put up with the constant calls from your clients screaming "Where's My Money?!".

Q. Can't Tracking Down a Defendant be costly?

It Can Be.. unless you learn to utilize the right resources.
If you get into this as a business be prepared to shell out money for research; a "Minimum Search" through one of the many internet information search services can cost about $40.00 and all it will do is verify the information you already have. If I had to rely on those services my average "Minimum" research fee would be too prohibitive since I tend to get EVERYTHING on the Defendant that I can find.
Join one of the professional organizations, read the manuals I mention below for pointers and "how to's" from professionals in the field, that's the best advice I can give.

Q. Can a woman be successful in this industry?

A. Absolutely!
This is one of the BEST equal-opportunity businesses a person can get into.
If you can stay focussed, learn collection laws and doggedly pursue a defendant, then you can most likely handle this business.
Judgment Recovery/Enforcement is not "Rocket Science" - yes, there are established rules and protocols, but, if you can read, write and reason, this is one of the better businesses, in my opinion, that you can get into.

Q. Are there judgments that you do not accept, if so, why?

A. I don't accept judgments under $5,000.00 because the time and money it takes to locate the individual (or company), then perform the due diligince necessary to make sure that it is collectible can be cost prohibitive, plus, It takes almost the same amount of energy to work on a small judgment as it does a large one.
Currently my average "little" judgments are in the $7,000 to $10,000 range while the majority of the "larger" judgments are in the $80,000 "and up" area. The bigger the judgment, the larger the expense.(And the larger the payoff!)

Q. I've gotten a lot of emails for buying a course in "Judgment Recovery".
Which one, in your opinion, is best?

A. This is quite a common question. Over the years I've had the opportunity to review several "Business Opportunities" with regards to Judgment Recovery. The prices for these courses have varied from about $40.00 to over $700.00.
There are four affordable "resources" I would personally suggest you review:

If you'd like to try to collect your own judgment then these first two recommendations are just what you need:

The first is "The Citizen's Step-by-Step Guide to Collecting Your Judgment" priced at just $39.95 (at this writing) which is a real bargain when you discover all the information that is supplied. This excellent "self-help manual" is presented by my fellow CAJP member and long-time judgment professional Peter Gilboy,Phd who has his own successful judgment collection service in San Diego called "Judgment Trackers".
In my opinon, this is the best "self-help", step-by-step Judgment Collection guide I've ever had the pleasure to review.
NOTE: This manual is for those of you who are attempting to collect your own judgment.

The second is a self-help book that was put out by NOLO Press entitled "How to Collect When You Win a Lawsuit (4th Ed.)" This book originally sold for about $39.00 but is no longer being printed, however you can probably find a copy at your local library or pay through the nose for the few remaining copies available at AMAZON.com. Hint: Try the library first.

If you'd like to seriously consider getting into the judgment recovery business then the my third and fourth suggested manuals are worth their weight in gold:

The third I'd recommend you seriously consider is "The REAL WORLD Judgment Recovery Guidebook" priced at the affordable price of only $149.00 (at this writing) which is yet another excellent resource developed by another CAJP member, Barry R. Goldman.
Barry has been personally involved in the judgment recovery business for several years and has done an excellent job of carefully dissecting every aspect of the judgment recovery business, meticulously outlining the legal concepts, providing guidance to aid you in avoiding various legal pitfalls in the beginning of your new career and advising you on successfully managing your judgment recovery business.
This manual is extremely well written and well researched and is a "must" for your professional bookshelf.

The fourth manual on my short list is "Success! As a Judgment Recovery Specialist" priced at just $249.00 (at this writing) which is a real bargain when you discover all the information that is supplied. This is another excellent manual presented by fellow CAJP member and long-time judgment professional Peter Gilboy,Phd.
Peter describes many actual, real life collection challenges and provides concise solutions to the collection process.
This is another great resource you should have on your professional bookshelf.

This manual, like Barry Goldman's, is a complete course covering everything the novice needs to know to start their own judgment enforcement business and run it efficiently, successfully, and profitably!

Q. What about professional organizations? Which would you recommend?

A. There are two organizations that I feel are imperative to keeping abreast of changes in the industry:

(1) The National Judgment Network is geared more for a "National" membership and many states are represented. Their $119.00 lifetime fee also includes several perks, such as form letters that may be adapted to your specific needs, payment calculators, a case management program, etc. These are all essentials for the newcomer and the forums are well moderated so you can discuss problem cases with other members and get advice from a variety of sources.

(2) The California Association of Judgment Professionals is a real top notch group of professionals based not only in California but has several members in states outside of California as well. Membership is $125.00 per year and worth every nickel. The members forum generates creative problem solving and, at times (when some of the more colorful members spout off) is quite entertaining as well!
This non-profit organization also sponsers an annual "convention" where pros and newbies can take courses from leaders in the collection industry. This group is probably the premier group to belong to. Visit the site if your serious about entering this field.

Q. Is the judgment collection business hard to manage?

A. Not necessarily. Although every course seems to indicate that you can run this business from a kitchen table (which, in fact, you can) it will help for you to investigate some client contact management software.
I'd suggest you explore a program that you could adapt to handle "case-management" like FileMaker, OutLook, ACT!, etc.

When you get further along in your recovery business I'd strongly recommend a judgment recovery spreadsheet program (that I also personally own and use) for the serious judgment collector created by Tiffany Salls, a fellow CAJP member. Her program, called "JAW" or (the) Judgment Accounting Workbook is an invaluable tool for calculating interest, costs after judgment, application of payments, and much more.
Calculating judgment balances is time consuming and tricky. The Judgment Accounting Program is an Excel template with a user-friendly interface that will “take the bite" out of judgment accounting.
Why is this such a terrific (and necessary) program?
Simple: Nothing kills the FLOW of your paperwork faster than a court clerk pointing out that you've applied fees, payments or interest incorrectly on your paperwork.
This program simplifies the process and shows you where to correctly apply any fees or payments that are incurred during the span of your collection of a judgment.
At only $99.00 ($75.00 if you're a CAJP member!) this is a MUST program for proper, effective case management.

To Sum it all up...

If I were on a budget (and serious about getting into this business) I'd join a professional organization and invest in a good, concise manual like Peter Gilboy's "Success! As a Judgment Recovery Specialist", or Barry Goldman's excellent "The REAL WORLD Judgment Recovery Guidebook" (or both!) and a good word processing program, a good contact manager (Outlook, FileMaker,Act!,etc) and Tiffany Sall's Judgment Accounting Workbook.

These are the essential tools - I make NO MONEY ENDORSING THEM.

I use, or have used them in my practice. They have been created by actual, working individuals involved in the collection process and not "get rich quick" scammers who haven't a clue as to what they are talking about.
I guarantee these tools will make your professional life easier!
They've certainly helped me.

I really hope this page has been helpful for those of you casting about wondering what this business is all about!
-Charles Perez,
"The Judgment Collector"
Results Judgment Recovery

The National Judgment Network