How to remove a County Court Judgment (CCJ) from Your Credit Record

To remove a CCJ from your credit record, you will need to contact the creditor and request that they remove the CCJ from your credit file.

You may also need to provide evidence that the debt has been paid or that the CCJ was issued in error. If the creditor agrees to remove the CCJ, they will need to inform the credit reference agencies, which will update your credit record to reflect the change.

If the creditor refuses to remove the CCJ from your credit record, you can appeal the decision by contacting the court that issued the CCJ.

You will need to provide evidence to support your case, such as proof that the debt has been paid or that the CCJ was issued in error. If the court agrees to remove the CCJ, it will inform the credit reference agencies, which will update your credit record accordingly.

It is important to note that the process for removing a CCJ from your credit record can be complex and may take some time. It is advisable to seek the assistance of a financial professional if you are unsure about how to proceed.

How can I remove a CCJ from my credit file?

There are a few steps you can take to try to remove a County Court Judgment (CCJ) from your credit file:

1. Contact the creditor: If you have paid off the debt that the CCJ was issued for, or if the CCJ was issued in error, you can contact the creditor and request that they remove the CCJ from your credit file. You may need to provide evidence to support your request, such as proof of payment or documentation showing that the CCJ was issued in error.
2. Appeal the decision: If the creditor refuses to remove the CCJ from your credit file, you can appeal the decision by contacting the court that issued the CCJ. You will need to provide evidence to support your case, such as proof that the debt has been paid or that the CCJ was issued in error.
3. Contact the credit reference agencies: If the creditor agrees to remove the CCJ, or if the court orders the CCJ to be removed, they will need to inform the credit reference agencies, which will update your credit file to reflect the change. If the CCJ is not removed, you can contact the credit reference agencies and request that they remove the CCJ from your credit file. You may need to provide evidence to support your request, such as proof that the CCJ was issued in error or that the debt has been paid.

It is important to note that the process for removing a CCJ from your credit file can be complex and may take some time. It is advisable to seek the assistance of a financial professional if you are unsure about how to proceed.

CCJ’s and Your Credit Score

A County Court Judgment (CCJ) is a court order that requires you to pay a debt that you owe to a creditor. If you have a CCJ on your credit record, it can have a significant impact on your credit score and make it more difficult for you to obtain credit in the future.

Your credit score is a three-digit number that reflects the information in your credit report. Lenders use your credit score to determine your creditworthiness and the likelihood that you will repay a loan. A high credit score can make it easier to get approved for loans and credit cards, while a low credit score can make it more difficult to get approved and may result in higher interest rates and fees.

A CCJ can have a negative impact on your credit score because it shows that you have not paid a debt as agreed. This can indicate to lenders that you may not be a reliable borrower and may increase the risk of lending to you. As a result, lenders may be less likely to approve your application for credit and may charge you higher interest rates if they do.

In addition to affecting your ability to get approved for credit, a CCJ can also impact the terms of the credit you are able to obtain. For example, you may be offered lower credit limits or higher interest rates, which can make it more expensive to borrow money.

If you have a CCJ on your credit record, it is important to take steps to address the underlying debt and try to remove the CCJ from your credit file. This may involve negotiating with the creditor to come up with a repayment plan or appealing the decision if the CCJ was issued in error. Taking these steps can help improve your credit score and make it easier to obtain credit in the future.

It is also important to be proactive in managing your credit to avoid future CCJs and other negative marks on your credit record. This may involve paying your bills on time, using credit responsibly, and monitoring your credit report regularly to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date. By taking these steps, you can help improve your credit score and increase your chances of getting approved for credit in the future.

Find out if a CCJ has been made against you

A CCJ is a County Court Judgement and is a legal order requiring you to repay what you owe. This can be revisited and enforced by the court if necessary. You will only have a CCJ against your name if you have been taken to court by a creditor and a judge has decided that you owe the money.

The CCJ will be registered against your name at the County Court. This will show up on your credit file for six years, even if you manage to clear the debt during that time.

In order to find out if there is a CCJ against your name, you can check your credit file or contact the County Court directly. If you are unsure of the procedure, you can seek legal advice.

However, it is important to act quickly if you think you may have a CCJ against your name, as this can have a serious impact on your financial wellbeing.

It’s easy to find out if a CCJ has been made against you. You can:

• search the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines

• get a copy of your credit report

Search the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines

You can search the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines online. You’ll have to pay a small fee. The Register will show any CCJs you have against you.

Get a copy of your credit report

As an individual in the UK, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report once a year from each of the three major credit reference agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion (formerly Callcredit). You can request your credit report online or by phone, and you will usually receive it within a few days.

To request your credit report as an individual in the UK, you will need to provide some personal information, such as your name, date of birth, and current and previous addresses. You may also be required to provide proof of identity, such as a copy of your driver’s license or passport.

As a business in the UK, you are also entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reference agencies. However, the process for requesting a business credit report is different than for an individual credit report.

To request a business credit report in the UK, you will need to provide the name of your business, your company registration number, and the names of the directors or owners. You may also be required to provide proof of identity and proof of ownership of the business, such as a copy of the company’s articles of association.

It is important to review your credit report regularly to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date. This can help you identify any errors or discrepancies that may be impacting your credit score, and take steps to correct them. By maintaining a strong credit score, you can increase your chances of getting approved for credit and loans, and may be able to negotiate better terms and interest rates.

Read more: What is a business credit score?

Ways to Remove a CCJ from Your Credit Records

If you’ve received a CCJ (County Court Judgment), this could have some serious consequences for you if it’s not removed from your credit record. It can hinder you in obtaining credit, such as a mortgage or even a mobile phone contract. Depending on your line of work, it may even mean that you could lose your job.

There are however 3 ways that you can get the CCJ removed.

1. Pay the CCJ within a month

If you pay the full amount of the CCJ within one month, then it will be removed from your credit file.

The Registry Trust keeps a Register of all CCJ’s. The courts update the Registry Trust every time a CCJ is issued. When the court notifies the Registry Trust that a CCJ has been paid within a month, the CCJ is completely removed from the Register. It’s as though it was never entered in the first place.

Often, the person you’re paying (the claimant) will tell the court that you’ve paid. If they don’t do that, then the court won’t know and so they won’t update the Registry Trust. So, when you pay, you should ask the claimant to confirm that they have actually told the court. Otherwise, the CCJ will remain on the Register.

If the claimant doesn’t tell the court, you can tell the court yourself. You could simply write to the court, let them know that it’s paid and provide evidence of payment.

However, in most cases it’s better to ask for a formal certificate of cancellation. You can do that by completing an application for a certificate of cancellation. You will need to send proof of payment and will have to pay a fee of £15. The court may check with the claimant whether they have in fact received full payment.

Even if you dispute the CCJ, it may still be better to pay it within a month, particularly if it is only for a small amount (such as a parking fine). This is because the consequences of having the CCJ on your credit record could be disastrous. It may be advisable to pay it but let the claimant know that:

• you’re only paying it to get it removed from your credit record and/or
• you intend to take action to claim the money back from them once the CCJ has been removed.

If you wait more than a month before paying it, this won’t remove the CCJ from your credit record. It will however mean that the CCJ is marked as ‘satisfied’, which will make it slightly easier for you to obtain credit. The CCJ will still be on the Register, but credit checks will also show that you paid it, albeit not on time. You will still experience many of the problems associated with having an unpaid CCJ on your credit file but they won’t be so severe.

2. You can apply for the judgment to be set aside

If the CCJ is a “default judgment”. A default judgment is a judgment made when you (the defendant) fails to acknowledge the claim or put in a defence. In these circumstances, judges have discretion to set aside the CCJ i.e. to declare the judgment as unenforceable. If you receive a County Court judgment (CCJ) you don’t agree with, you may be able to apply to cancel it by completing an N244 form and returning it to the court. This is known as ‘setting aside’ a CCJ.

To successfully set aside a judgment, you must make the application promptly and be able to show that you have a real prospect of successfully defending the claim or, that there is some other good reason why you should be allowed to defend the claim. This could be because, for example, the claim form was sent to the wrong address.

The court can also set a judgment made at a hearing that you did not attend, but only if you can prove that you had good reasons for your non-attendance.

If the judgment is set aside, the CCJ will be removed from register and it will be as though it never existed.

You can wait six years for the CCJ to be automatically cleared from the register. Once it has been removed, it will then be too late for a creditor to enforce the judgment.

This may occur if you’ve moved house and creditors haven’t been informed of your change of address. Therefore, it can be a bit of a shock to find a CCJ you knew nothing about on your doormat. In fact, many only discover the fact when they get turned down when applying for new credit or (and this doesn’t often happen) cases when a bailiff comes knocking at the door. If this happens to you, you could set the CCJ aside, but this is only worth it if you dispute the amount the creditor is demanding. If the judgement is correct, but you’re unable to pay it, ‘varying’ a judgment is your best alternative. This means asking the court to set affordable monthly payments.
 
So, if you are served with an unknown CCJ, firstly, check by whom it was issued by consulting the court forms you receive by post. If there are no forms, call the court to discover who the creditor is. Once you are fully informed you can then verify if the amount is correct and make a decision on your best option

3. Wait six years

From the date of the judgment, the CCJ remains on the register for a period of 6 years. Once the six years have passed, the judgment is automatically removed from your credit record – even if it is not paid. 
This may sound appealing, letting the CCJ die out, but do you really want to have a poor credit rating behind you for six years? Consider the consequences, can you afford the risk.

Once your CCJ has been paid, it should appear on your credit report as satisfied. If this does not happen, then get in touch with the relevant credit reference agencies to have them update your report. The CCJ will show future creditors that the debt is settled and you no longer owe money. However, bear in mind that it may still affect your ability to obtain credit.

You can also ask for a Certificate of Satisfaction. You’ll need to apply to the court for this and pay a £14 fee. This allows you to provide evidence if a creditor should start chasing you again for payment, or if another creditor wants to see proof of your finished CCJ before accepting you.

How does a CCJ show on your credit report?