I have a CCJ but I don’t know who it’s from
If you have a county court judgment (CCJ) against you for failing to repay a debt, you’ll usually know who applied for it.
But it’s possible to discover you have a CCJ and not know who it has come from.
Find out how to work out where an unknown CCJ has come from and what to do next.
Why have I received a CCJ?
A CCJ is usually issued after you’ve missed two or three payments but it should never be a surprise to you.
There’s no minimum debt level required so you can get a CCJ for something small, like a missed parking fine.
Creditors should give you several opportunities to set up a payment plan or repay what you owe in full before going down the CCJ route.
You should have received lots of letters about the unpaid debt and the consequences of failing to pay before getting a CCJ claim form.
Why should I find out where a CCJ has come from?
Having a CCJ can affect your credit rating and your access to credit, so it’s important to find out why a CCJ has been made against you, especially if you don’t know who it’s come from.
In some cases, a CCJ can appear on your credit file without you knowing about it due to mistakes or errors.
Failing to address an unknown CCJ can have serious consequences – your creditor might tell a bailiff or debt collection agency to visit your home and sell your possessions to repay the debt.
A CCJ stays on your credit report for six years, so it’s better to act quickly and resolve errors swiftly.
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How do I find out where the CCJ has come from?
Start by checking your credit report – you can get a copy of your report from agencies like Experian, Equifax or TransUnion.
Details about any outstanding CCJs and who has requested them should be included.
But, if you can’t find this information on your credit report, you can get in touch with the Civil National Business Centre or contact the court where the CCJ was issued for more information.
They’ll tell you who the creditor is, their address and details of the debt.
Once you’ve done this, you can either dispute the judgment or start to negotiate a repayment plan.
Can I get an incorrect CCJ removed?
If you’ve discovered a CCJ but don’t believe you owe the money, you can apply for the judgment to be cancelled – ‘set aside’ – by sending an application to the court using form N244.
There’s a fee of £303 and you’ll need to be able to prove you don’t owe the money.
If you owe the money, the CCJ can be removed from your credit report if you repay the full amount within 30 days.
You can then apply for a certificate of cancellation to prove you don’t owe anything else towards the debt using form N443.
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