I’m trying to buy a home and a fairly old judgement that I was unaware of needs to be paid in order for me to close on the home.

Paying the debt is not the issue, I just need to find who owns it.

The original judgement was filed in 2014. The cosigner on the loan filed for bankruptcy and my most recent payment was returned from the collections agency with a note that the debt was listed in a bankruptcy proceeding.

We have had no communication from the debt collector since this time. The judgement is still active according to the county.

I don’t know who the original lender was and I don’t have the contact info from the original collector. The judgement filing only has this name and no contact information.

Any ideas on tracking down an old collector?

Paying an old debt can be frustrating, especially when the original creditor has closed or merged with another company. And if that unpaid balance was reported to the credit bureaus, that can make it difficult to get a mortgage loan.

The good news is that a judgment may be paid even if the original creditor has gone out of business.

How to pay a judgment.

  • Pay Online:  You may the judgment or fine online by going to this link.  Payment can be made by credit cards, debit cards or with e-checks.
  • Pay the Clerk of the Court:  Send a check or money order to the Clerk of the Court.  Many courts also accept cash payments made in person.  To find out how much you owe on the judgment, including interest, call the Clerk of the Court.  Here is a link to each County Court Clerk in Nebraska.
  • Pay the Creditor’s Attorney:   The court file will have the name and phone number of the attorney who filed the lawsuit.  Contact the attorney’s office and make payment arrangements.  Remember that when you send payment to a creditor’s attorney you are giving them information about where you bank, and unless you are paying the balance in full you are providing them clues as to where to send a garnishment. Be cautious about what information you share with the creditor’s attorney.  Email seems to be a great way to negotiate directly the attorney. Here is the link to get the email address of the creditor’s attorney.

If a judgment has been entered against you it is important to get a Satisfaction of Judgment filed in the court record after payment.  Once the judgment is settled you want to send the credit bureaus a copy of the Satisfaction so your credit report can be updated.