How to Collect Your Deposit

From the Arlington Court Web Site

After the Judgment is Entered

Enforcing the Judgment

The judgment of the court is, in itself, nothing but an official statement in the court's records that the defendant, now also called the judgment debtor, owes the plaintiff, the judgment creditor, a certain amount of money with interest. The judgment must be enforced out of the assets of the defendant.

To enforce the collection of the judgment, the judgment creditor may contact the general district court clerk's office for additional information on court procedures to collect the judgment, including:

• Using a Summons to Answer Interrogatories for getting information about the defendant and his assets in order to use court collection procedures.
• Obtaining an Abstract of Judgment to take to circuit court for recording as a lien against real estate.
• Obtaining a Writ of Fieri Facias to have the judgment debtor's personal property sold at public auction to pay the judgment.
• Obtaining a Garnishment Summons to get payment from the judgment debtor's bank account or earnings.

This is the technique used successfully by other Pappas Tenants
most recently by two lady tenants

You should not have to go through any special procedures to get your security deposit back.
It should have been given to you upon moving out.
But Virginia Law protects you.

A collection agency will only get involved if you have taken the landlord to court, and obtained a judgement for your security deposit.

Collection services you may wish to use include

• Dun & Bradstreet - maintains a nationwide credit database as well
• Credit Bureau Inc. - maintains a nationwide credit database as well
• Capitol Collections
• Credit Management Incorporated

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