Can a CCJ be enforced after 6 years is over?

Can a CCJ be enforced after 6 years is a common question. A CCJ is also known as a county court judgment and are awarded by a County Court usually. A CCJ is awarded following successful county court legal action. It is normally a means of gaining official recognition that a debt is owed and paves the way for CCJ debt collection if necessary.

When a CCJ is granted by a court, it should not be ignored by the debtor. It can seriously impact their credit file and leave them wide open to enforcement actions that can add to the principal CCJ value.

Lifetime of a CCJ

If you have registered a CCJ against a Business or private individual, this normally lasts for six years. If payment of the CCJ has not been made in full during this period then there are sometimes special permissions granted by the court to continue enforcement of the CCJ after the six year period has elapsed.

Purpose of a CCJ

The benefit of obtaining a CCJ are that it legally ratifies the debt. It also allows enforcement to take place to collect debts such as seizing goods or freezing bank accounts. The method of enforcement used should depends on the debtors circumstances.

Obtaining a CCJ is not necessary to collect unpaid debts. Many companies and individuals use Debt Collection Agencies as a far less costly method of collecting unpaid debts.

Impacts of having a CCJ

Once a CCJ is awarded by a court, if it is not paid within 30 days it will be lodged on the debtors credit file. It will remain there for a minimum of 6 years. If the CCJ is paid after the initial 30 days, it will remain on the debtors credit file but will be logged as satisfied.

If it is a Business with a CCJ, it will affect their credit rating and can make them appear as untrustworthy to new suppliers and partners.

Enforcing a CCJ after 6 years

If the expiry of the CCJ is near there are options to allow an extension of the life of the CCJ. There is the option for the claimant to appeal to the county court to extend it. The claimant must have a legitimate reason why the CCJ has not been enforced within the 6 year CCJ time period.

Extenuating circumstances such as the debtor was out of the country may give cause for an extension. If there is no valid reason then the answer to the question ‘can a CCJ be enforced after 6 years’ would be no.

For further information on your options to collect a CCJ then please contact our friendly Debt Collection experts today for enquiries regarding existing unpaid CCJs.

We offer a range of strategies to help you recover the debt and can put together a bespoke plan tailored for your needs.

Common questions about CCJs

How do you find out if someone has a CCJ? is there a way to remove it and what happens when the debt is paid. To answer the first question, you can search for an individual or company on the government’s register of Judgments, Orders and Fines online. If a CCJ has been issued then it will appear in the search results.

A CCJ can be removed from your record by making a request to the court and paying the debt in full. Once the debt is paid, you may be able to apply to have the CCJ set aside or cancelled, however this will depend on individual circumstances.

Can a CCJ be enforced after 6 years? Generally speaking, no. The Limitation Act 1980 states that a CCJ can only be enforced up to 6 years after it is issued. After this period of time, the creditor will no longer have the right to take legal action against you in regards to the debt and the CCJ will be removed from your record.