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In the last article on money judgment collection, I provided some information on how a judgment creditor could garnish the wages of the judgment debtor. If the judgment creditor has some knowledge about the debtor’s assets, he or she can also potentially levy on a bank account.

The Department of Consumer Affairs defines a habitable rental unit as a rental unit that substantially complies with building and safety code standards that materially affect tenants' health and safety. The landlord is required to make any and all repairs in order to make the unit habitable because all leases and rental agreements contain an implied warranty of habitability.

In the last post on this topic, I suggested that the judgment creditor first try asking the judgment debtor to pay the amount to satisfy the judgment. If getting the debtor to satisfy the judgment willingly is out of the question, it is time for the creditor to assess the debtor’s assets. In the best scenario, the creditor has some knowledge of the debtor’s assets and finances, even if only in a very general sense. For example, if the creditor knows the debtor is currently employed, then they can try to garnish the debtor’s wages.

The Online Etymology Dictionary reports that the word “slumlord” came into popular use in 1953, but it derived as a portmanteau of “slum landlord,” which had been used as early as 1893. Needless to say, slumlords’ neglect is not a new problem.

So a court has entered a money judgment in your favor against a debtor- you’ve won, right? While obtaining a judgment is the first step in the process of collecting on a debt, it is unlikely that the judgment debtor is simply going to hand the money over. However, asking the judgment debtor to pay the amount due is probably the best way to start the collections process, before you expend any money or time in the other collections processes, which can be complicated. Moreover, this is the best way to start if you do not have any information about the judgment debtor’s assets.

The Mayo Clinic defines hoarding as “the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them,” and notes the following characteristics as signs and symptoms: cluttered living spaces, inability to discard items, acquiring unneeded or seemingly useless items (including trash), excessive attachment to possessions, and discomfort letting others touch or borrow possessions, among others.