Judgment Enforcement in New York

You won. Now collect.

Winning a lawsuit or holding a judgment is only half the battle. Debtors routinely ignore judgments, betting the creditor won't do the work to enforce them. Judgment enforcement is that work — the legal machinery that seizes accounts, places liens, and compels payment from a debtor who would rather wait you out.

New York enforcement tools

• Bank restraints & levies — freeze and seize funds in a debtor's accounts.
• Property liens — attach real estate so the debt is paid on sale or refinance.
• Income executions — garnish wages or receivables where permitted.
• Post-judgment discovery — subpoena banks and depose the debtor to locate assets.
• Turnover proceedings — compel third parties holding the debtor's property to hand it over.

Judgments from elsewhere

Hold a judgment from another state or country? We can domesticate it in New York so it can be enforced here against assets located in the state. Foreign-country judgments are recognized under New York's recognition statute when the requirements are met.

When the money has vanished

If the debtor claims to have nothing, that's rarely the end. Post-judgment discovery — and, for assets moved abroad, §1782 asset discovery — can surface the accounts and property a debtor is hiding.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a New York judgment good for? Money judgments are enforceable for 20 years, and judgment liens on real property generally run 10 years and can be renewed.

Can you enforce an out-of-state judgment in New York? Yes, by domesticating it here first; then New York's enforcement tools apply.

The debtor says they're broke — is it hopeless? Usually not. Discovery exists precisely because debtors understate what they have.