Home | PA Collections Attorney | Enforcement of a Foreign Judgment
A judgment creditor from any state outside of Pennsylvania can enforce that judgment in Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania adopts the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (42 Pa.C.S. § 4306), which sets forth the guidelines for proceeding with the enforcement of an out-of-state judgment, also known as a foreign judgment. The law for a Pennsylvania foreign judgment generally provides that any judgment, decree, or order of a court of the United States, or of any other court, is entitled to full faith and credit in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (42 Pa.C.S. § 4306(f)).
To proceed with the enforcement of a foreign judgment in Pennsylvania, it is wise to retain an experienced Pennsylvania collections attorney. A PA collections attorney will be familiar with each step of the process for enforcement of a foreign judgment, as specific procedural requirements must be strictly adhered to.
For example, a Pennsylvania collections attorney must first file an authenticated copy of the foreign judgment along with an affidavit showing the name and last known post office address of the judgment debtor and the judgment creditor, together with a statement that the foreign judgment is valid, enforceable and unsatisfied. A properly filed foreign judgment has the same effect and is subject to the same procedures, defenses, and proceedings for reopening, vacating, or staying as a judgment of the court in which the foreign judgment is filed, and may be enforced or satisfied in like manner (42 Pa.C.S. § 4306(b)). Essentially, this means that once the foreign judgment is properly filed, a PA collections attorney can proceed with enforcement of the foreign judgment as if the judgment was originally obtained in PA.
Out-of-State Attorneys and Other Legal Personnel
The Martin Law Firm assists lawyers, in-house counsel, paralegals, companies and individuals with the filing of a foreign judgment in Pennsylvania. Contact an experienced and aggressive PA collections attorney at the Martin Law Firm today.
The Martin Law Firm | PA Commercial Debt Collections
The Martin Law Firm concentrates in the areas of commercial collections and enforcement of foreign judgments in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Martin Law Firm assists companies in various industries, including banking, computers and technology, advertising and marketing, construction, and other providers of goods and services. We have helped many clients from out-of-state succesfully collect on outstanding debts through the foreign judgment process.