PLAN No. 529. LOOKING UP OLD JUDGMENTS
Reading edition
Here is a plan that was very successfully operated by a young lawyer in a western city, and can be worked out just as well in every county-seat town in the United States:
He employed a young lady to go carefully over the dockets of both the superior and justice courts, and make a complete list of all unsatisfied judgments rendered during the six years preceding, so that they were not barred by the statute of limitations.
She made a careful note on a blank prepared for that purpose, of the number of the book in which the judgment was recorded; the case number; the name of the court; names of plaintiff and attorney; of defendant and attorney; of garnishee defendant, if any; amount of judgment; amount of costs; amount of attorney’s fees, if stated; time judgment was taken, etc.
When she brought these reports to the lawyer’s office he would consult a city directory or state gazeteer, to learn the present address of both plaintiff and defendant, then obtain from a reporting company the financial standing of the defendant.
He would then write the plaintiff, asking him to call in reference to the judgment, but not stating his knowledge as to the defendant’s condition. When the plaintiff came in he would state he had a report on the defendant, which he could have upon the payment of $2, the cost of obtaining this data, but if the defendant was in such shape that the judgment could be collected, he would offer to collect it for 50 per cent, and have it assigned to him for that purpose. Then he would see the judgment debtor, and in many cases he was able to secure the entire amount. He would then enter satisfaction of the judgment on the court records, remit one-half to the plaintiff, and the balance was his. This plan made him $5,000 the first year.