Add costs and interest to what's owed

If you had to spend money trying to collect what the judge said the other side owes you, you can ask to have those costs added to what you're already owed. You can also have interest added.

Before you start

Document your costs

You'll need to file a written statement saying what you've spent and how much interest needs to be paid. The court doesn't keep track of this.

You only can add costs from the past 2 years

• You have 2 years from the time you pay a collection cost to add it to what's owed.
• Not all collection costs will be added. You can add what you paid the court, a government agency (like the sheriff's office or DMV), or a process server. Sometimes, the court will allow you to add attorney's fees.

You can add interest at any time while the judgment is active

Generally, any unpaid principal balance collects interest at 10%, or 7% if the debtor is a government agency. This general rule applies to any judgment against a business or government agency, or when the debtor owes $200,000 or more. It also applies to any judgment where the money is owed due to a tort or fraud, or judgments for unpaid wages or other money due to an employee.

Broadly, a tort is when someone does something, usually dangerous or careless, and it causes someone to get hurt or damages something they own. For example, if someone runs a red light and causes a car accident. Common examples are assault, battery, trespassing, or negligence.

A tort is not when someone breaks a contract. For example, when someone signs an agreement with a credit card company, but then does not make a payment they agreed to make. That is called a "breach of contract". It is not a tort.

If the balance owed is less than $200,000 and the money owed is related to medical expenses or personal debt, then an exception to this rule may apply. Otherwise, the general rule applies.

Limits on interest rates for some judgments related to medical expenses or personal debts

For any judgment entered or renewed on or after January 1, 2023, the interest rate on any unpaid balance is 5% if:

• The side that owes the money (the judgment debtor) is a person, not a business or government agency,
• The principal balance owed is less than $200,000 and related to a medical expense or is less than $50,000 and related to a personal debt, and
• The money owed is not due to a tort, fraud, unpaid wages, or other money owed to an employee