Possible to negotiate a judgment?

[nomoredebt]

I'm in California (the LA area). I had a bad patch several years ago, a prolonged illness, and went into a financial tailspin. I've recovered both my health and financial situation. My credit rating is getting healthier as well, and I'm getting ready to retire. I have just one ghost haunting me from that very trying time in my life. And it's a default money judgment by a CA that I was too sick to fight at the time.

I disputed the balance due with the OC back in 1998 (I still don't get their creative math), and they filed suit 3/1999 and won by default, sold it to a CA a year later who started a new action and who I recently discovered tolled the SOL because of the applicability of CCP paragraph 351 (I'm confused as to how that's possible when I never left the state before that time and was living at the same address since the beginning of this debacle).

My understanding from what I've read on various forums is that I'm long past the time to contest any of this, but I still want to get out from under it. It's now around $8,000, and that's, of course, far more than I ever owed (IF I ever even owed), and I'd like to try to negotiate it closer to a realistic amount, pay it off and get it out of my life.

I've consulted with a couple of attorneys recently about negotiating it, and neither has wanted to help me because it's less than their minimum to care about. It's quite a lot of money for me though, so I'm feeling quite frustrated .

I'm fairly naive about being in debt, not a negotiator at all and really have no idea where to turn next to get this resolved. If anyone has any advice that will help me do the right thing and save my bones being picked entirely clean by the vultures out there, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

This is over 10 years ago. It is highly unlikely you will every be able to overturn this judgment, at least IMHO. A judge will probably not care and view this as a deadbeat waking up and now wants the court to bend over backwards. My thought is that it's best to try to settle with them for a certain amount. Chances are they bought it for pennies on the dollar. If you settle for a fraction, e.g. 50% or 40% of the judgment (just throwing out a number) then you did quite well. Hire a negotiator and it will cost you more. Basically, if they know they aren't getting money from someone judgment proof, their purchase of the debt was a loss. The only way to get a reduction - you need to have something to offer. Be ready to pay something. They have zero incentive to just let it drop. They aren't necessarily vultures - they look at you as the deadbeat who hasn't paid his debt in 10 years. No offense, but the fact is that you DO owe someone money. My feeling... settle it.