Collecting a judgment in Guelph

• You won in Small Claims Court, but you haven't been paid
• A Landlord and Tenant Board order to pay hasn't been paid
• You don't know where the debtor works or banks now
• The debtor owns a vehicle, equipment or property
• The court ordered something returned to you, and it hasn't been

To collect, the debtor has to have money, things that can be seized and sold, or money owed to them by someone else, like wages from an employer or funds in a bank account. Working out which of these applies is where we start.

Don't know where the debtor lives or works now? Laura is also a licensed private investigator, and finding people is part of what she has done for years.

1. Check the judgment

   We look at the judgment or order and what you already know about the debtor.

2. Find out what they have

   If it isn't clear, we ask the court for an examination, and use Laura's investigator experience where it helps.

3. Choose the right way to collect

   Garnishment, a writ, or more than one, depending on what the debtor has.

4. File with the court and the Sheriff

   We prepare and file the documents and serve whoever needs to be served, like an employer or a bank.

5. Follow it through

   We keep track of payments and renewals, and take the next step if the first one doesn't work.

• 20%

  of the debtor's net wages is, in most cases, the most that can be garnished. The rest is protected by law.

  Wages Act, section 7

• 6years

  is how long a notice of garnishment or a writ of seizure and sale stays in force. Each can be renewed for another six years before it runs out.

  Ministry of the Attorney General, Guide to procedures in Small Claims Court