Selling a Judgment? Sell Your Judgment for Cash
Selling a judgment means transferring ownership of it to Great Lakes Strategic Capital by court assignment. Once the assignment is filed, we become the judgment creditor of record, and from that moment we carry the cost, the risk, and the work of enforcement. You stop being the person chasing the debt.
You won in court. What you are holding is a court order saying you are owed money, not the money itself. Turning that order into cash on your own means more filings, more fees, more years, and no guarantee you will ever see a dollar. Selling converts it into something you can actually use.
We buy non-consumer civil judgments nationwide, including small claims judgments, and we offer two purchase structures: an outright purchase for a lump sum, or a contingency purchase where your payment is an agreed share of what we recover. There are no upfront fees in either case, and submitting a judgment for evaluation costs nothing.
Two Ways to Sell Your Judgment
Both structures transfer ownership of the judgment to Great Lakes Strategic Capital by court assignment. The difference is how and when you are paid, and who is waiting on the outcome.
Outright Purchase
GLSC pays a lump sum and receives an assignment of the judgment. The price is agreed before you sign and does not change based on what we later recover. Once the assignment is filed with the court, the judgment is ours and your involvement is finished. Sellers who want certainty and a defined end date usually choose this structure.
Contingency Purchase
GLSC purchases the judgment by assignment and becomes its owner. As the purchase price, you receive an agreed share of what GLSC actually recovers, paid to you as recoveries come in. There is no upfront cost to you. If the recovery turns out to be strong this can pay more than an outright purchase would have; if it is weak, it pays less.
| Outright Purchase | Contingency Purchase | |
|---|---|---|
| Payment timing | Lump sum at closing | Paid as recoveries come in |
| Who owns the judgment | GLSC | GLSC |
| Cost to the seller | None | None |
| Risk carried | GLSC carries all enforcement cost and risk | GLSC carries all enforcement cost and risk |
| Best if you want | Certainty and a defined end date | A share of a stronger recovery |
What Judgments We Buy
We purchase civil, non-consumer judgments with a face value over $3,000. That includes small claims judgments — a small claims award is a judgment like any other, and it can be sold the same way. It also includes judgments entered in a state where you no longer live or do business, and judgments that must be domesticated before they can be enforced.
We buy
- Civil, non-consumer (business or commercial) judgments over $3,000
- Small claims judgments over $3,000
- Breach of contract and other business disputes
- Commercial landlord-tenant judgments for unpaid commercial rent
- Contractor, construction, and mechanic’s lien disputes
- Unpaid invoices and professional fee judgments
- Default judgments where the debtor never appeared
- Out-of-state judgments, including judgments domesticated into another state
We do not buy
- Consumer debt judgments (credit cards, medical bills, personal loans)
- Residential landlord-tenant judgments
- Family court support orders (child support, alimony)
Great Lakes Strategic Capital is not a collection agency and does not collect judgments for anyone else. We buy them. Once a judgment is assigned to us we enforce it as the creditor, for ourselves — which is exactly why we can pay you before we have recovered anything.
Not sure which rules apply where you are? See our judgment recovery guides by state or the individual pages for Texas, Florida, New York, California, and Michigan.
How Selling a Judgment Works
Six steps from submission to payment. Once the assignment is filed, everything after that is our problem rather than yours.
- 1
Submit your judgment details
Tell us who the judgment is against, the amount, the court, and roughly what has happened since. It takes a few minutes and costs nothing.
- 2
We evaluate the debtor and the judgment at no cost
We look at the debtor’s assets and income, the age of the judgment, the state it was entered in, and what collection has already been attempted. You pay nothing for this.
- 3
You receive a written offer
We put the offer in writing and explain how we reached it, including which structure we are proposing and why. There is no obligation to accept.
- 4
Sign the purchase agreement and assignment
The assignment is the document that transfers ownership of the judgment. It is signed by you and by us, and it is what makes us the creditor.
- 5
The assignment is filed with the court
We file the assignment with the court that entered the judgment, which puts the transfer on the record and makes us the judgment creditor of record.
- 6
You get paid — or receive your share as we recover
On an outright purchase, payment is wired to you at closing. On a contingency purchase, you are paid your agreed share as recoveries come in.
See how each step of the judgment selling process works in more detail.
What Is My Judgment Worth?
There is no single formula. The face value of a judgment is a starting point, not a price, and two judgments for the same amount can be worth very different sums. These are the factors that move the number.
The debtor’s assets and income
A judgment is only worth what the debtor can actually pay. Real estate, bank accounts, business interests, receivables, vehicles, and steady income all matter more than the face value of the award.
The age of the judgment
Older judgments are closer to expiration and often harder to enforce, because assets have had time to move. A judgment with years left on the clock is worth more than one nearing its deadline.
The judgment amount
Larger judgments give enforcement more room to work, since the cost of pursuing an asset is spread across a bigger recovery. Small claims judgments are absolutely purchasable, but the amount has to justify the work.
The state and its enforcement laws
States differ enormously on homestead exemptions, wage garnishment, judgment duration, renewal, and how quickly a lien can be enforced. Two identical judgments in two different states are not worth the same.
Whether the debtor is a business or a person
Business debtors usually hold identifiable assets and are subject to different enforcement tools. Individuals bring exemption protections into play, which changes what is realistically recoverable.
Prior collection attempts
What has already been tried tells us a great deal. If garnishments and debtor examinations have already failed, the case may be harder; if nothing has been attempted yet, there may be untouched assets to find.
We do not publish percentages or price ranges, because quoting one before we have looked at the debtor would be misleading. If you want to understand the rules that drive value in your state, start with our state judgment laws and expiration guide. Otherwise, submit the judgment and we will tell you what we think it is worth.
Selling vs. Collecting It Yourself vs. Hiring a Collection Agency
All three routes are legitimate, and which one is right depends on the judgment, the debtor, and how much uncertainty you are willing to carry. Here is the honest comparison.
Selling it to GLSC
You are paid for the judgment instead of waiting on it. On an outright purchase you receive a lump sum at closing; on a contingency purchase you receive an agreed share as we recover.
- Cost
- Nothing to you
- Time
- Days to a few weeks to close
- Risk
- We own the judgment and carry the enforcement cost
Collecting it yourself
You keep 100% of anything you recover, which is the real argument for it. The trade is that you also keep every cost, every delay, and the possibility of recovering nothing after years of work.
- Cost
- Filing fees, sheriff fees, and any attorney time you buy
- Time
- Months to years, with no fixed end
- Risk
- You carry all of it, and the judgment may expire before it pays
Hiring a collection agency or attorney
You usually pay nothing up front, but the fee comes off the top of what is collected, and you remain the creditor the whole time. If nothing is recovered, the time and any advanced costs are gone.
- Cost
- A percentage of what they recover, plus costs
- Time
- Variable, and often open-ended
- Risk
- You still own the judgment and still bear the risk
If the debtor has clear assets and you are prepared to fund enforcement, collecting can pay more in the end. If the debtor is a business that has moved money, gone quiet, or has nothing obvious to seize, selling converts a maybe into a known outcome. Our enforce versus sell guide walks through both paths in more detail.
Why Sell to Great Lakes Strategic Capital
Buying a judgment is not paperwork. It is a bet on whether the money can be found, and the buyer who can find it can pay you more. That is the whole reason we are in this business.
31 years of investigative experience
Great Lakes Strategic Capital is owned by Wayne Bisard, a retired police captain with 31 years of investigative experience. Finding what a debtor is hiding is the work we were trained to do long before we bought our first judgment.
An affiliated licensed investigation firm
Asset investigation is handled through our affiliated licensed Michigan private investigation firm, Wayne Bisard Investigations. That matters because a judgment is only worth what the debtor actually has, and finding it is the hard part.
We buy judgments nationwide
We purchase civil, non-consumer judgments across the country, not just in Michigan, and we deal with the domestication, filing, and local enforcement rules that come with an out-of-state debtor.
No upfront fees, and confidential
Evaluating your judgment costs nothing and obligates you to nothing. Everything you send us is held in confidence, and we never ask a seller to pay us to sell.
We are not a law firm and do not give legal advice. If you want to understand the enforcement landscape in your state before deciding, read our state judgment laws resource or the judgment selling FAQ. Then send us the judgment and we will tell you what we can do with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions sellers ask us most often before they submit a judgment.
How does selling a court judgment work?
Selling a judgment means transferring ownership of it to Great Lakes Strategic Capital by court assignment. You sign a purchase agreement and an assignment, we file the assignment with the court that entered the judgment, and from that point we are the judgment creditor of record. We then carry the enforcement work and its cost ourselves, because the judgment is ours.
How much will I get for my judgment?
It depends on the judgment and on the debtor, not on the face value alone. We look at the debtor's assets and income, how old the judgment is, the amount, the state it was entered in and that state's enforcement rules, whether the debtor is a business or an individual, and what collection has already been attempted. We make an offer in writing and explain how we arrived at it.
What is the difference between an outright and a contingency purchase?
With an outright purchase you are paid a lump sum at closing and your involvement ends. With a contingency purchase the judgment is still assigned to us and we still own it, but your purchase price is an agreed share of what we actually recover, paid to you as recoveries come in. An outright purchase gives you certainty; a contingency purchase can pay more if the recovery turns out to be strong.
How long does it take to sell a judgment?
We respond to a submission within one business day. Evaluation and due diligence usually take one to two weeks, and once you accept an offer, documentation and payment normally complete within another week. Complex cases, or judgments that must first be domesticated in another state, take longer.
Can I sell a small claims judgment?
Yes, if it is a non-consumer judgment over $3,000. A small claims award is a judgment like any other, and the size of the court that entered it does not change whether it can be assigned. The practical question is whether the debtor has anything to collect from.
Can I sell a judgment from another state?
Yes. We buy judgments nationwide, including judgments entered in a state where you no longer live or do business. If the debtor has moved, the judgment may need to be domesticated into the state where they are now, and we handle that step as the new owner.
Do judgments expire?
They do, and the deadline varies a great deal by state. Some judgments run for ten years, others for twenty, and the rules for renewing one differ just as much. Once a judgment expires it generally cannot be enforced at all, which is why the age of your judgment affects both its value and your options.
Will the debtor know I sold the judgment?
Yes. The assignment is filed with the court that entered the judgment, so it becomes part of the public record and the debtor can see that we are now the creditor. That is normal, and it is often why a purchased judgment moves faster: the debtor is now dealing with an owner who enforces.
Do you buy consumer debt judgments?
No. We do not buy consumer debt judgments, including credit cards, medical bills, personal loans, or anything covered by the FDCPA or FCRA. We also do not buy residential landlord-tenant judgments or family court support orders. We buy civil, non-consumer judgments that arise out of business and commercial matters.
Is there any cost to me?
No upfront fees, ever. We do not charge evaluation fees, consultation fees, retainers, or filing costs, and we never ask you to pay anything in order to sell. If we make an offer and you accept it, you are the one who gets paid.
More questions answered on our full judgment selling FAQ.
Get Your Free Judgment Evaluation
Send us the judgment and we will tell you whether we can make an offer, and on which terms. It costs nothing and there is no obligation to accept anything.
Why Creditors Trust Great Lakes Strategic Capital
We operate with full transparency and strict regulatory compliance. Every engagement is governed by applicable state and federal law — protecting you at every step.
Non-Consumer Judgments Only
We strictly limit our practice to non-consumer civil judgments, remaining outside the scope of consumer debt regulations.
Licensed Investigative Firm
Our principal, Wayne S. Bisard, holds active Michigan Private Investigator licensure — applied to thorough debtor asset research.
All-50-State Operations
We purchase civil judgments across all U.S. jurisdictions, staying current with each state's renewal and assignment rules.
Veteran & Law Enforcement Owned
Founded and operated by a U.S. veteran and former law enforcement professional — bringing discipline and integrity to every case.
No Upfront Fees — Ever
We bear all collection risk. You receive a lump-sum cash payment at closing with zero out-of-pocket cost.
Confidential & Secure
All submitted case files and personal information are handled with strict confidentiality throughout our review process.
Licensing, regulatory compliance, and professional affiliations — all in one place.