Collect a Judgment in Georgia Small Claims Court

Winning Is Only Half the Battle

The Magistrate Judge rules in your favor and enters a money judgment. The courtroom part is over, but the court does not hand you a check. No one at the clerk's office collects the money for you. If the debtor does not pay voluntarily, you enforce the judgment yourself using the legal tools Georgia provides.

Enforcement cannot begin until the 30-day appeal window expires. If the debtor files a Petition for Review, collection pauses until the reviewing court resolves the case.

Writ of Fieri Facias (Fi. Fa.)

After the appeal window closes, request a Writ of Fieri Facias from the Magistrate Court Clerk. The statutory fee to issue a Fi. Fa. is $4 under O.C.G.A. § 15-10-80(c); a separate local recording fee may apply. The Fi. Fa. is a legal lien that gets recorded on the county General Execution Docket (GED). Once recorded, it attaches to the debtor's real property in that county — any future sale or refinancing of their home or land requires satisfying your judgment first.

If you believe the debtor owns property in multiple Georgia counties, you can record the Fi. Fa. in each county where they hold assets. Each additional recording requires a separate filing.

Post-Judgment Interrogatories

You won, but you have no idea where the debtor banks or works. Post-judgment interrogatories under O.C.G.A. § 15-10-50 give you a legal mechanism to force the debtor to disclose financial information under oath — bank account numbers, employment details, vehicles, and property holdings.

The debtor must answer within the timeframe specified by the court. Failing to respond can result in contempt proceedings. These answers are the roadmap for your garnishment and levy actions.

Bank and Wage Garnishment

Bank garnishment freezes the debtor's bank account. You file a garnishment action under O.C.G.A. Title 18, Chapter 4, naming the bank as the garnishee. The bank holds the funds in the account (up to the judgment amount) and responds to the court with a disclosure of what they are holding.

Wage garnishment attaches up to 25% of the debtor's disposable earnings through their employer. A continuing garnishment lasts up to 1,095 days (about 3 years), collecting from each paycheck until the judgment is satisfied.

Both garnishment types require a separate court filing and service on the garnishee (the bank or employer). The debtor receives notice and has the right to claim exemptions — Georgia law protects certain funds from garnishment, including Social Security benefits and public assistance.

Post-Judgment Interest

Your judgment accrues interest automatically from the date of entry. Under O.C.G.A. § 7-4-12, the rate equals the Federal Reserve prime rate plus 3%, unless the original claim was based on a contract with a different enforceable rate. This interest increases the amount owed over time and adds incentive for the debtor to settle.

Satisfaction of Judgment

When the debtor pays the full judgment amount (including accrued interest and post-judgment costs), you are required to file a Satisfaction of Judgment with the clerk within 30 days under O.C.G.A. § 9-13-80. This clears the debtor's court record and releases any Fi. Fa. liens.

Failing to direct the clerk to mark the judgment satisfied within 30 days gives the debtor a private right of action under O.C.G.A. § 9-13-80, with presumed damages of $100 (or actual damages up to $500) and possible reasonable attorney fees.

The Georgia Small Claims Filing Guide covers the full post-judgment enforcement process, including deadline tracking for the appeal window and Fi. Fa. recording steps.

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