California Debt Settlement System | Justice Foundation
Filing an Answer to a debt collection lawsuit preserves every right you have — it forces the collector to prove their case, opens the door to settlement negotiations, and prevents the default judgment that would otherwise follow automatically. Filing an Answer is not complicated, but it must be done correctly and within the 30-day deadline.
The General Denial
In California limited civil cases, you can respond to a debt collection complaint with a general denial — a single checked box on California Judicial Council Form PLD-C-010 denying all of the plaintiff’s allegations. A general denial is legally sufficient to preserve all your defenses without requiring you to identify them in detail at this stage. You do not need to prove your defenses in your Answer — you need only deny the complaint’s allegations and state any affirmative defenses you intend to raise.
Affirmative Defenses to Include
Even in a general denial Answer, assert any affirmative defenses that apply: statute of limitations (debt is more than 4 years past the date of first delinquency), lack of standing (plaintiff cannot prove they own the debt), failure to state a claim, improper service of the complaint, FDCPA violations (as a setoff or counterclaim), and habitability/partial payment defenses if applicable. List them briefly — you’ll develop them later in the case. The key is preserving them by asserting them in the Answer.
Filing and Service
Take your completed Answer to the court clerk’s office. Pay the filing fee (fee waivers available if you qualify). Get the file-stamped copy. Serve a copy on the plaintiff’s attorney by first-class mail and complete a proof of service. Keep the file-stamped Answer and proof of service permanently. Missing the filing deadline produces a default — there is no extension without a formal motion. The Justice Foundation kit includes the Answer form, affirmative defense language, and a step-by-step filing guide.
Leave a Reply