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CO Judgment Collection

How to Collect Your Judgment in Colorado

You already won. Here's how to actually get paid — debtor's exam, wage garnishment, bank levies, and property liens, with the exact Colorado forms and deadlines.

6 years (renewable)
Judgment good for
8% per annum (compounded annually) when no other rate is specified; 12% per annum for child-support arrearages
Interest accrues at
Available
Wage garnishment
6 yrs
Property lien

Your collection options in Colorado

Work them roughly in this order — find the assets first, then go after them.

1

Find the money — debtor's asset exam

Form JDF 105 SC (Pattern Interrogatories - Individual); JDF 108 SC (Pattern Interrogatories - Business)

Compels the debtor to disclose, under oath, where they bank, work, and what they own — the information every other step depends on.

Creditor serves pattern interrogatories (JDF 105/108) on the judgment debtor; if the judgment order authorized issuance (Rule 369(g)) no separate court order is needed. Debtor must answer within 14 days (JDF 82). If the debtor does not comply, creditor may seek a contempt citation / disclosure hearing.

Court fee: No fee to serve interrogatories; Hearing for Interrogatories = $70.00 (per JDF 82 fee list)

2

Garnish wages

Form CRCP Form 26 (Writ of Continuing Garnishment); Form 27 (Calculation of Amount of Exempt Earnings); Form 28 (Objection to Calculation)

Diverts part of the debtor's paycheck to you — up to Lesser of 20% of disposable earnings for the week, or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 40x the state/federal minimum wage (reduced from 25% to 20% by HB19-1189).

Continuing garnishment is the exclusive procedure for withholding earnings over successive pay periods. Writ issuance fee is $45.00.

Filed with: Filed with the same court that entered the money judgment, using the original case number

3

Levy the bank account

Form CRCP Form 29 (with Form 30 Claim of Exemption); Form 32 for judgment debtor that is a business entity

Freezes and pulls non-exempt funds straight from the debtor's bank account.

Creditor files Form 29 with the issuing court ($45.00 writ fee), serves it on the garnishee bank plus the judgment debtor with a blank Form 30 (Claim of Exemption). Debtor has 14 days to file a claim of exemption; if claimed, the court holds a hearing before levy.

4

Lien their real estate

Attaches to property the debtor owns for 6 years — you get paid when they sell or refinance. The cheap, passive backstop.

Record a Transcript of Judgment (certified by the clerk) with the county clerk and recorder in any county where the debtor owns or later acquires real estate; lien attaches from the time of recording (C.R.S. 13-52-102).

Court fee: $25.00 for the Transcript of Judgment (court fee, per JDF 82); plus county recorder recording fees

The fine print that matters in Colorado

How long your judgment lasts

County court money judgments are good for 6 years; district court judgments for 20 years (C.R.S. 13-52-102; JDF 82). A judgment may be revived before it expires using JDF 113 (Motion for Revival of Judgment), JDF 114 (Notice to Show Cause), and JDF 125 (Order for Revival); instructions in JDF 112. Revival is filed in the same court (no filing fee). The debtor has 14 days from service to respond; revival extends the judgment/lien for another period.

Interest while you wait

C.R.S. 5-12-102(4) sets the default 8% statutory judgment interest where no rate is specified. Personal-injury judgments use a market-based rate certified annually by the Secretary of State under C.R.S. 13-21-101. JDF 82 (official collection guide) instructs creditors to compute interest at 8% per annum (12% for child support) unless a different rate was granted.

What the debtor can protect (exemptions)

Minimum 80% of disposable earnings protected (only 20% garnishable); homestead and personal-property exemptions under C.R.S. 13-54-101 et seq. Debtor may file a claim of exemption (Form 30) within 14 days of a bank/property garnishment.

Colorado gotchas

Colorado cut the maximum wage-garnishment rate from 25% to 20% of disposable earnings effective Oct 1, 2020 (HB19-1189) - do not use the federal 25% figure. County court judgments expire in only 6 years (vs. 20 for district court) and the real-property lien lasts only 6 years from recording unless revived. Pattern interrogatories must be served first to locate assets.

Let us prepare your Colorado collection paperwork

We prepare your Colorado-specific enforcement forms — debtor's exam, garnishment, levy, or lien — plus a plain-English playbook telling you exactly where to file and what each step costs. You file them; we never charge a cut of what you collect.

$299
flat — plus the court/sheriff's own filing fees, paid directly

Collection firms take 33–50% of what they recover. On a $4,000 judgment that's $1,300–$2,000. Our flat fee keeps the rest in your pocket.

Colorado Judgment Collection FAQ

A Colorado judgment is enforceable for 6 years, and can be renewed before it expires. County court money judgments are good for 6 years; district court judgments for 20 years (C.R.S. 13-52-102; JDF 82). A judgment may be revived before it expires using JDF 113 (Motion for Revival of Judgment), JDF 114 (Notice to Show Cause), and JDF 125 (Order for Revival); instructions in JDF 112. Revival is filed in the same court (no filing fee). The debtor has 14 days from service to respond; revival extends the judgment/lien for another period.

Yes. Garnishment in Colorado can reach Lesser of 20% of disposable earnings for the week, or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 40x the state/federal minimum wage (reduced from 25% to 20% by HB19-1189). Exemptions: First 40x minimum wage of weekly disposable earnings is fully exempt; minimum 80% of disposable earnings protected. Additional exemptions under C.R.S. 13-54-104.

Through Interrogatories to Judgment Debtor (written, under C.R.C.P. 69 / Rule 369); disclosure hearing available if debtor fails to answer (JDF 105 SC (Pattern Interrogatories - Individual); JDF 108 SC (Pattern Interrogatories - Business)) — the court orders the debtor to appear and disclose their assets under oath. Creditor serves pattern interrogatories (JDF 105/108) on the judgment debtor; if the judgment order authorized issuance (Rule 369(g)) no separate court order is needed. Debtor must answer within 14 days (JDF 82). If the debtor does not comply, creditor may seek a contempt citation / disclosure hearing.

Record a Transcript of Judgment (certified by the clerk) with the county clerk and recorder in any county where the debtor owns or later acquires real estate; lien attaches from the time of recording (C.R.S. 13-52-102). The lien lasts 6 years.

You pay the court and sheriff their own filing/levy fees directly (usually modest, and recoverable from the debtor). Our Judgment Collection service is a flat $299 — we prepare your Colorado-specific enforcement forms and a step-by-step filing playbook; you file them. Compared with collection firms that take 33–50% of what they recover, that's hundreds to thousands less on a typical judgment.

Some debtors are "judgment-proof" — no job, no bank account, no equity — and no tool can squeeze money that isn't there. The honest play is the debtor's exam to confirm what exists, then keep the judgment alive (it lasts 6 years and is renewable) and try again when their situation changes. We give you the tools, not a guaranteed payout.

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