How to Collect Your Judgment in Michigan
You already won. Here's how to actually get paid — debtor's exam, wage garnishment, bank levies, and property liens, with the exact Michigan forms and deadlines.
Your collection options in Michigan
Work them roughly in this order — find the assets first, then go after them.
Find the money — debtor's asset exam
Form MC 11 (Subpoena / Order to Appear) — Discovery Subpoena to examine the judgment debtorCompels the debtor to disclose, under oath, where they bank, work, and what they own — the information every other step depends on.
If you lack information about the debtor's assets, file a discovery subpoena (form MC 11) ordering the debtor to appear for questioning under oath about assets and income on a set date.
Garnish wages
Form MC 12 (Request and Writ for Garnishment — Periodic, for wages); MC 13 (NonPeriodic); MC 14 (Garnishee Disclosure)Diverts part of the debtor's paycheck to you — up to 25% of disposable earnings (federal CCPA limit applies) — the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 30x the federal minimum wage.
Filing fee $15.00 (per garnishment). A $35.00 disclosure fee must be paid to the garnishee with the writ ($6.00 if the garnishee is the State of Michigan). Garnishee has 14 days to file the Garnishee Disclosure (MC 14).
Filed with: Court that entered the judgment (file electronically via MiFILE). Must wait at least 21 days after judgment entry.
Levy the bank account
Form MC 13 (Request and Writ for Garnishment — NonPeriodic); MC 14 (Garnishee Disclosure)Freezes and pulls non-exempt funds straight from the debtor's bank account.
File form MC 13 with the bank as garnishee (after the 21-day post-judgment wait); pay the $15 filing fee and serve 2 copies plus the $35 disclosure fee on the bank. The bank discloses and holds non-exempt funds in the debtor's account.
Lien their real estate
Attaches to property the debtor owns for 5 years — you get paid when they sell or refinance. The cheap, passive backstop.
File a Notice of Judgment Lien (form MC 94) with the court clerk for certification, then record the certified notice with the Register of Deeds in the county where the debtor owns real property. Serve a copy on the debtor by certified mail (personal service if judgment is $25,000+). (MCL 600.2805 et seq.)
The fine print that matters in Michigan
How long your judgment lasts
A judgment is enforceable for 10 years (MCL 600.5809). It may be renewed by filing a motion/action to renew before expiration, starting a new 10-year enforcement period (MCL 600.5809(3)).
Interest while you wait
MCL 600.6013 governs interest on money judgments. The Michigan Department of Treasury / State Court Administrative Office publishes the semiannual rate. (A separate fixed rate applies to judgments on written instruments.)
What the debtor can protect (exemptions)
Federal CCPA wage cap (25% / 30x federal minimum wage); statutory personal-property and homestead exemptions apply (debtor may file objection/claim of exemption within 14 days of a garnishment). Social Security and other federal benefits are exempt. A judgment lien does not attach to entireties property unless the judgment is against both spouses (MCL 600.2807).
Michigan gotchas
Must wait 21 days after judgment entry before filing a garnishment. Periodic (wage) garnishment writs expire 91 days after issuance and must be re-filed to continue. A $35 disclosure fee is owed to the garnishee with every writ. The judgment lien (MC 94) expires after 5 years and may be re-recorded only ONCE, and only if re-recorded at least 120 days before the initial expiration date (MCL 600.2809). Filing is electronic via MiFILE.
Let us prepare your Michigan collection paperwork
We prepare your Michigan-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.
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.
Michigan Judgment Collection FAQ
A Michigan judgment is enforceable for 10 years, and can be renewed before it expires. A judgment is enforceable for 10 years (MCL 600.5809). It may be renewed by filing a motion/action to renew before expiration, starting a new 10-year enforcement period (MCL 600.5809(3)).
Yes. Garnishment in Michigan can reach 25% of disposable earnings (federal CCPA limit applies) — the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which disposable earnings exceed 30x the federal minimum wage. Exemptions: Federal CCPA cap: 25% of disposable earnings, or amount over 30x federal minimum wage (whichever is less). Periodic wage garnishment is effective until the judgment is paid, 91 days after the writ's issue date, or the amount withheld satisfies the judgment — whichever comes first (writs must be renewed for ongoing wage garnishment).
Through Judgment Debtor Discovery / Subpoena to Appear (examination of judgment debtor) (MC 11 (Subpoena / Order to Appear) — Discovery Subpoena to examine the judgment debtor) — the court orders the debtor to appear and disclose their assets under oath. If you lack information about the debtor's assets, file a discovery subpoena (form MC 11) ordering the debtor to appear for questioning under oath about assets and income on a set date.
File a Notice of Judgment Lien (form MC 94) with the court clerk for certification, then record the certified notice with the Register of Deeds in the county where the debtor owns real property. Serve a copy on the debtor by certified mail (personal service if judgment is $25,000+). (MCL 600.2805 et seq.) The lien lasts 5 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 Michigan-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 10 years and is renewable) and try again when their situation changes. We give you the tools, not a guaranteed payout.
Collecting a judgment by county in Michigan
Where you file your garnishment or levy depends on the counties.
Wayne County
Oakland County
Macomb County
Kent County
Genesee County
Washtenaw County
Ottawa County
Ingham County
Kalamazoo County
Livingston County
Saginaw County
Muskegon County
All 83 counties in Michigan
Official Michigan sources
- https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/forms/scao-approved/mc12.pdf
- https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/forms/scao-approved/mc13.pdf
- https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/forms/scao-approved/mc94.pdf
- https://www.courts.michigan.gov/publications/interest-rates-for-money-judgments/
- https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-600-2805
- https://michiganlegalhelp.org/resources/money-debt-and-consumer-issues/getting-garnishment
This page is general information about collecting a money judgment in Michigan, not legal advice. Forms, fees, and procedures change and vary by court — confirm the current requirements with the court that entered your judgment before filing.
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