A judgment is a piece of paper until someone forces the landlord to pay it. Landlords who lose in court routinely stall, hide assets behind LLCs, and dare you to come after them. We do. The Law Office of Kevin P. Hermansen, P.C. enforces judgments and fee awards against landlords throughout Los Angeles County, and we do not stop until the money is in your hands.
California gives judgment creditors serious tools, and we use every one of them. We levy bank accounts, garnish rental income and wages, record liens against the landlord's real property, and bring debtors into court for examinations under oath about where their money is. If the landlord tries to hide behind a corporation or a trust, we trace the ownership and go after the people behind it. If the landlord still refuses to pay, we sell their properties at sheriff auctions.
Attorney's fee awards after a dismissed or defeated eviction. Money judgments from habitability and wrongful eviction lawsuits. Employee judgments against employers, civil harassment, breach of contractor, and any other judgment on behalf of consumers. Security deposit judgments from small claims court. Settlement agreements the landlord stopped honoring. If a court says a landlord owes you money, we can enforce it.
A California judgment accrues interest every day it goes unpaid, and the costs of enforcement are added to what the debtor owes. The longer a landlord stalls, the more they pay. Time is on your side, but only if someone is actually pursuing the judgment.
I won in small claims and my landlord will not pay. Can you help?
Yes. A small claims judgment is enforceable like any other judgment, and enforcement is often where the case is actually won. We take over from the point where the court left off.
The landlord says the LLC has no money. Is that the end of it?
Usually it is the beginning of the investigation. We look at who owns the LLC, where the rents are deposited, what property it holds, and whether the individuals behind it can be held personally responsible.
How long is a California judgment good for?
Ten years, and it can be renewed for another ten. There is no reason to give up on a judgment because the debtor has ignored it for a year or two.