County Court Judgment (CCJ)

The legal acknowledgment that a debt is due. To obtain a CCJ, a lender has first to issue a Notice of Default, you have to ignore it, the lender must then issue a summons for you to attend court, and either you fail to turn up at court, or lose the case. A CCJ remains on your credit report for 6 years irrespective of whether you subsequently pay off the debt.

Someone you owe money to (a 'creditor') can take a County Court action against you to claim the money. If you pay the amount outstanding, you can avoid a hearing or judgment. If not, there'll be a simple court hearing in private. You can attend if you wish, or just send the information the court asks for by post.

The court doesn't find anyone 'guilty' or 'innocent'. It looks at the facts and decides whether you owe any money, and if so, how you should repay it. If the court decides you owe money and you don’t pay, they can take further legal steps to get their money, such as sending bailiffs around to take your possessions.

Under Scottish law claims are dealt with differently, by the Sheriff Court.

If you pay off a CCJ within 28 days of issue and inform the courts then the CCJ is immediately removed from your credit file. If it is not paid off within this 28 day period then it will stay on your credit file for 6 years from the issue date.

A CCJ is labelled as 'active' on your credit report if you have not paid off the monies owed or 'settled' if you have. If you have paid off your CCJ you have to inform the credit reference agencies, Callcredit, Equifax and Experian with a 'Letter of Satisfaction' you can get from the courts so it is shown as such on your credit report.

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to have this removed from your file and you will have trouble getting credit on the high street until this drops off your file - it has a great impact on your credit score. We would strongly recommend against any offers of credit repair that some companies may present to you - this is illegal and generally only makes things worse for yourself. If you believe your CCJ to be settled or issued against you wrongly then you should contact the court with your case number and they can advise you further.

More Credit Definitions

Accident Sickness And Unemployment Insurance (ASU)
Additional Cardholder
Adjudication
Administration Order
Adverse Credit
AER
Agreement In Principle
Amortisation
Annual Equivalent Rate (AER)
Annual Fee
Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
Annuity Mortgage
Application Score
Application Search
APR
Arrangement Fee
Arrangement To Pay
Arrears
Attachment Of Earnings Order
Bank Reference
Bankruptcy Order
Base Rate
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Broker
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Bureau Score
Buy To Let
CAIS
Callcredit
Callscore
Cap
Cap And Collar
Capital
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Card Protection
Cash Advance
CCA
CCJ
CCN
CCTA
Charge Card
Charge Over Equitable Interest
Charging Order
CIFAS
CIFAS Entry
CML
Collar
Collateral
Commission
Consolidation Loan
Consumer Credit Act 1974
Consumer Credit Trade Association.
Cooling Off Period
County Court Judgment (CCJ)
Court Information
Credit
Credit Agreement
Credit Card
Credit Card Cheques
Credit File
Credit Impaired
Credit Limit
Credit Rating
Credit Reference
Credit Report
Credit Score
Credit Search
Data Sharing
Deed Release Fee
Default
Delinquent
Delinquent Account
Delphi
Deposit Account
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Disassociation
Discounted Rate Mortgage
Drawdown Loan
Dynamic Delinquency
Early Repayment Penalty
Electoral Roll
Endowment Mortgage
Endowment Policy
Enquiry
Equifax
Equity
Equity Release
Experian
Extended Credit Taker
Fair Isaac
FICO Score
Financial Association
Financial Ombudsman Service
Financial Services Authority (FSA)
First Mortgage
Fixed Rate
Fixed Rate Mortgage
Flexible Loan
Forced Sale Value (FSV)
FSA
FSV
Full Payer
Further Advance
GAIN
Garnishee Order
General Insurance Standards Council (GISC)
Geodemographic Data
GISC
Gone Away Information Network (GAIN)
Guarantor
Health Insurance
Higher Lending Fee
Household Score
Joint And Several
Kerbside Valuation
Lending Multiplier
Liability
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Lump Sum Reduction
Money Laundering
Mortgage
Mortgage Indemnity Insurance
Mortgage Payment Protection
Mortgage Valuation
Mortgagee
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Multiplier
Negative Equity
Non Status Mortgage
Notice Of Arrears
Notice Of Correction
Notice Of Default
Notice Of Default Sums
Offset Mortgage
Ombudsman
Oral Examination
Overdraft
Overdraft Limit
Overpayment
P60
Payment Holiday
Payment Protection
Payment Protection Insurance (PPI)
Pension Mortgage
Personal Loan
Plastic
Portable Mortgage
Principles Of Reciprocity
Proof Of Income
Propensity Score
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Reciprocity
Redemption Penalty
Refinancing
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Repayment Mortgage
Repossession
Schumer Box
SCOR
Scottish Decree
Search Footprint
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Second Mortgage
Secured Loan
Security
Self Certification
Sequestration
Set Off
Share
Shared Equity
Shared Ownership
Sharking
Shortfall
Standard Variable Rate
Status Report
Sub Prime Credit
Subsequent Mortgage
Summary Box
Third Party Data (TPD)
Title Deed
TPD Rules
Tracker Mortgage
Trade Organisation
Trust Deed
Underwriters
Unsecured Loan
Valuation
Wait Period
Warrant Of Execution
Wescore
Writ Of Fi Fa
Z Score

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