How to Remove a Judgement from Credit Report

D

David garcia

Member
During the pandemic, I went through a rough patch financially, and one of my credit cards ended up in court resulting in a judgment filed against me. Since then, I’ve been steadily paying it down and currently owe about $3,500.

I’ve been thinking about getting a debt consolidation loan just to pay it off in full and get it over with. But then I read that even if the judgment is paid, it can still stay on your credit report for up to 7 years. Is that really true? The frustrating part is, I’m considering returning to a career field where employers check your credit score as part of the hiring process. I was hoping to get the balance cleared first, thinking that would help but now it sounds like I might still be stuck with the judgment on my record, even after paying it.
Also, I’ve been using Credit Karma lately to track my progress and try to rebuild my credit, but I noticed the judgment doesn’t even show up there. Is that normal? Or is it just missing from Credit Karma’s reports?
Any advice on how to remove or deal with a judgment on your credit file would be really appreciated especially if anyone’s had success getting one removed early or disputed after payoff.
 
Yup, unfortunately even if you pay the judgment in full, it can still stay on your credit report for up to 7 years from the filing date, not the payment date. Been through that rodeo myself. That said, some credit reporting agencies will update it to satisfied, which looks way better than unpaid. Employers still see it, though so i get your stress.
 
Honestly Credit Karma is trash for legal items. Judgments, liens, and even some older charge-offs won’t show because CK pulls from TransUnion and Equifax only and even then, not all the data. I had a judgment that only showed up on Experian. You’re better off pulling all three bureaus from annualcreditreport.com.
 
Oh, the irony pay your debts like a responsible adult and still get punished for 7 years. Gotta love the American credit system, huh? Next thing they’ll penalize you for looking at your own credit report too many times. Oh wait… they kinda do.
 
I had a judgment removed early through a motion to vacate. Basically once it was paid off, I petitioned the court to vacate the judgment since it was satisfied. Judge approved it, then i sent that paperwork to the bureaus. Gone in 30 days. Worth a shot depending on your state!
 
Just a heads up: even if you get the judgment vacated, it doesn’t guarantee it’ll be scrubbed from your credit. Bureaus are legally allowed to keep accurate negative info. But if it’s vacated and you follow up with documentation, they often remove it. It’s a bit of a gray area but people have had success.
 
Man i feel this deep. I got slammed during the pandemic too, and judgments hit harder than just a collections notice. You’re doing the right thing by tackling it. Have you considered talking to a nonprofit credit counselor? They can sometimes negotiate lump-sum settlements and offer advice on how to clean up the report.
 
paid judgments don’t disappear, but updating the status to satisfied is key. Some lenders and employers care more about that than the balance itself. Also, ask the plaintiff (creditor) if they’ll file a satisfaction of judgment with the court you’d be surprised how often they don’t unless you push.
 
If you wanna dispute the judgment with the bureaus, go for it but you’ll need proof it’s been vacated or settled in court. Otherwise they’ll likely verify and leave it. Paying it off doesn’t qualify as a dispute reason unless the info is incorrect. Still, worth double-checking what’s actually reporting.
 
In some states, if you pay and settle out of court, you can motion to reopen the case and request to vacate it by agreement. Courts usually approve it if both parties agree. Then you can send that vacate order to all three credit bureaus. It’s kinda paperwork-heavy but worth it.
 
I paid off a judgment from 2018 and it disappeared from my Equifax last year randomly. Still showed on TransUnion though. So yeah inconsistencies between bureaus are 100% a thing. Don’t rely on CK it’s blind to half the bad stuff anyway.
 
You can also try goodwill letters.....yes, even for judgments. I know it sounds crazy, but if you write a sincere letter explaining your hardship (pandemic etc.), some creditors are willing to help vacate or even retract. Especially smaller banks or local lenders.
 
I’m in a similar boat. Judgment from 2020, satisfied in 2023, still haunting my life. No luck getting it removed, but I keep everything documented just in case. Honestly, I just focus on rebuilding. My score still went up after payoff.
 
Not a lawyer but worked in collections: paying before garnishment kicks in saves you a ton of headaches. If you're close to clearing it, consider calling the creditor and ask if they’ll file a stipulated judgment vacate. They might play ball if they know you’re serious.
 
Check your local court site too....some states list public judgments online. You can sometimes get docs yourself to send to credit bureaus. Don’t just rely on Credit Karma. Credit reports ≠ full legal record.
 
My judgment never showed on Credit Karma either. Turns out it was only on Experian. So if you haven’t pulled all three full reports from annualcreditreport.com, do it now. CK is helpful but far from complete.
 
Lenders sometimes won't even consider a mortgage app until all judgments are satisfied. So if buying a house is in your future, pay that sucker and then ask the court for documentation. Attach it to everything you apply for. It helps.
 
This whole thread is why I’m terrified of missing payments. Life hits hard sometimes, and then even doing the right thing feels like a punishment. System needs reform, period.
 
Paid mine off with a debt consolidation loan. Credit score dipped initially from the hard inquiry but went up once the judgment got marked as satisfied. Not magic, but better than seeing that unpaid red flag every month.
 
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