The debtor paid in full. Now you're legally required to acknowledge it. California law requires judgment creditors to file a satisfaction of judgment within 14 days of payment - or face statutory penalties.
Under CCP 724.050, when a judgment is satisfied in full, the judgment creditor must file an acknowledgment of satisfaction within 14 days of receiving written demand from the debtor, or within 14 days of full payment if the debtor paid directly to you.
This isn't optional. Failure to comply exposes you to statutory damages of $100 per day, plus actual damages and attorney's fees. Courts take this obligation seriously.
If the debtor sends a written demand for satisfaction and you ignore it, you're potentially liable for $100 per day starting from day 15. If the judgment was $5,000 but you delay filing for 60 days, you could owe the debtor $4,600 in penalties alone - almost wiping out your judgment.
Confirm payment cleared. Include principal, interest, and costs owed.
Fill out Acknowledgment of Satisfaction of Judgment form.
File the original with the court that entered the judgment.
If abstract was recorded, record satisfaction with county recorder.
If you recorded an abstract of judgment with the county recorder (creating a property lien), you must also record the satisfaction with that recorder's office. Filing with the court alone doesn't clear the property title - both filings are required.
Before filing satisfaction, make sure you've received everything you're entitled to:
Example: $10,000 judgment entered January 1, 2024, paid December 31, 2024:
If the debtor pays an amount you believe is short, you're not required to file a full satisfaction. You can file a partial satisfaction for the amount actually received and continue collection efforts for the balance. Don't accept partial payment as full satisfaction unless you intend to release the entire judgment.
| Form | Name | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| EJ-100 | Acknowledgment of Satisfaction of Judgment | Main form filed with court to release judgment |
| Local recorder form | Varies by county | To clear recorded abstract of judgment (check county requirements) |
There is no fee to file a satisfaction of judgment with the court. Recording with the county recorder typically costs $15-25 depending on the county.
When levy proceeds are collected by the sheriff, they forward the funds to you (minus their fees). Once you receive the funds and they fully satisfy the judgment, the 14-day clock starts. If the levy didn't collect the full amount, you only file partial satisfaction and continue collection efforts for the balance.
No. Once paid in full, you must acknowledge satisfaction regardless of how much trouble the debtor caused. Your remedy for collection difficulties is the interest and costs you added to the judgment. Refusing to file satisfaction exposes you to $100/day penalties that can quickly exceed the original judgment amount.
Yes. Payment isn't complete until the check clears. A bounced check isn't payment. Wait for the funds to clear your account before filing satisfaction. If the check bounces, you're not required to file anything and can continue collection with the original judgment, plus potentially adding bad check penalties.
You're not obligated to accept principal-only payment as full satisfaction. You can accept it as partial payment, file a partial satisfaction, and continue collection for the remaining interest. However, make your position clear - if you cash the check marked "payment in full" without objection, you may have problems later.
The court maintains records of all judgments. You can obtain a copy from the court clerk. You don't need the original judgment to file a satisfaction - you just need the case number, parties' names, and judgment date. Form EJ-100 doesn't require attaching the original judgment.
Yes. A full satisfaction permanently extinguishes the judgment. You cannot later try to collect more. This is why accurate calculation of what's owed (principal, interest, costs) is critical before filing. Once you file full satisfaction, the judgment is dead - you can't revive it.
I help creditors properly calculate amounts owed and file satisfactions that fully protect their interests. Don't accidentally release more than you received.