Default Judgments

Should the defendant (respondent) not reply in a timely manner or file a motion, the plaintiff (petitioner) can request a default judgment from the court. The default judgment can grant the request of the plaintiff since the defendant wasn’t there to present their side of the story. In most cases, the default judgment grants the plaintiff the right to receive the amount of money requested in the complaint, including court costs and interest. The defendant’s credit report will list the judgment and it will be on there for as long as 7 years if it remains unpaid. According to the judgment, the plaintiff has the right to collect payment directly from the bank account or salary of the defendant. Check out Collecting a Judgment.