Satisfaction of Judgment: Making the Win Official After You Pay

Paying a judgment without getting the satisfaction filed leaves a live judgment on the books — still accruing interest on paper, still cloud on your record. Close it correctly.

What the Law Says

Upon full payment, the judgment creditor must file an acknowledgment of satisfaction of judgment within 15 days of demand. Refusal after demand exposes the creditor to liability and a court can order the satisfaction entered. Partial satisfactions document negotiated payoffs.

How to Handle It, Step by Step

1. Pay by traceable means against a written payoff figure good through a stated date.
2. Demand the acknowledgment of satisfaction in writing at payment.
3. Calendar 15 days; if not filed, send the statutory demand and then move the court to compel entry.
4. Record the satisfaction in any county where an abstract of judgment was recorded against you.
5. Send the filed satisfaction to credit bureaus with a dispute to update any related reporting.

Common Questions

I settled for less than the judgment amount. What gets filed?

Negotiate the terms to require a full satisfaction upon the settlement payment — that language in the agreement is the whole game.

The creditor no longer exists. How do I clear the judgment?

The court can enter satisfaction on motion with your proof of payment — successor entities and dissolved creditors do not leave you stuck.