Judgment Enforcement Filing Fees and Court Costs in Alberta

Every enforcement step in Alberta has a filing fee attached to it. Court filings, registry registrations, service costs, and agency retainers add up — and you pay them upfront before recovering anything from the debtor. Knowing these costs in advance lets you budget your enforcement file and decide which tools are worth deploying for your judgment amount.

Court of King's Bench Fees

Enforcement filings at the Court of King's Bench carry prescribed fees under Schedule B of the Alberta Rules of Court (AR 124/2010). These include:

• Certificate of Judgment — obtained from the Court of Justice clerk for the prescribed fee, then filed at King's Bench to transfer the judgment
• Writ of Enforcement issuance — the foundational document for all enforcement activity
• Garnishee Summons filing — each summons (bank, employer, or third party) has its own filing fee
• Applications — any motion brought before the court (applications for sale, contempt, or instalment orders) carries a filing fee

Fee schedules are published by Alberta Courts and updated periodically. The exact amounts depend on the nature of the filing and whether it's a first application or a subsequent step in an existing file. Check the current Court of King's Bench fee schedule before filing — using outdated figures means either overpaying or having your filing returned.

Personal Property Registry (PPR) Fees

Registering your Writ of Enforcement at the PPR establishes priority over the debtor's personal property province-wide. PPR fees are charged per transaction through an authorized registry agent:

• Writ registration — the initial filing that creates the floating charge
• PPR name search — searching the debtor's name to identify existing encumbrances, such as vehicle liens, and competing security interests
• VIN search — searching a specific vehicle identification number
• Status Report filing — required every two years to maintain your registration

Registry agent fees vary by provider and include a service charge on top of the base government fee. Online filing through Alberta Online Services may carry different fees than an in-person registry agent.

Land Titles Office Fees

If the debtor owns real property, registering your writ at Land Titles creates an encumbrance against the specific title:

• Writ registration against land — filed at the Calgary or Edmonton Land Titles Office
• Name search — identifies any real property registered in the debtor's name
• Title search — pulls the full title for a specific property, showing existing mortgages and encumbrances
• Discharge filing (Form 21.1) — required when the judgment is satisfied to remove the encumbrance

Land Titles fees are set by the Tariff of Fees Regulation under the Land Titles Act. The tariff lists a writ registration fee and an additional-title charge, so registering against several titles increases the total.

Service Costs

Service rules depend on the document and recipient. Service options include:

• Process server — a private individual or firm that serves documents in person, typically charging per service plus mileage
• Civil Enforcement Bailiff — some agencies offer service as part of their broader enforcement work
• Recorded mail — permitted for some documents and adds deemed-service time to your timeline

For a Garnishee Summons, serve the garnishee before or at the same time as service on the debtor, and ensure the debtor receives a copy within 15 days. A Notice to Attend Examination in Aid is served personally, and the bailiff serves seizure documents. The cost depends on the debtor's location and how easy they are to find. Serving someone in the same city is straightforward; tracking down a debtor who has moved out of province adds time and expense.

Civil Enforcement Agency Costs

Instructing a licensed Civil Enforcement Agency (bailiff) to seize property is the most expensive enforcement step:

• Upfront retainer/deposit — typically $950 to $1,250 or more, depending on the agency and complexity
• Storage fees — if seized property is physically removed and warehoused
• Towing fees — for vehicle seizures
• Auction or sale fees — the cost of liquidating seized property through public auction or tender
• Appraisal costs — required for real property sales ordered by the court

These costs come out of the sale proceeds before creditors are paid, in priority order. If the seized property doesn't sell for enough to cover the bailiff's costs plus your judgment, you don't recover the shortfall from the agency — that risk is yours.

Recovering Your Costs

Taxable enforcement costs and fees are paid first from recovered funds, followed by accrued post-judgment interest and principal. Whether a particular expense is taxable or recoverable depends on the applicable procedure; do not assume every service, registry, or agency invoice can be added to the balance. Post-judgment interest accrues as simple annual interest on the outstanding judgment principal under the Judgment Interest Act and the Judgment Interest Regulation, unless the judgment orders a different contractual rate.

The practical limitation is that recovery depends on the debtor having assets. Spending $2,000 on enforcement against a debtor with no attachable income or property means you're out $2,000 plus the original judgment. Run a cost-benefit analysis before each step — particularly before committing to a bailiff retainer.

Planning Your Enforcement Budget

A basic garnishment file (writ, PPR registration, one Garnishee Summons, service) might cost several hundred dollars all-in. A full enforcement file involving PPR registration, Land Titles filings, an examination, multiple garnishments, and a bailiff seizure can run into the thousands.

The Alberta Judgment Enforcement Guide includes an enforcement strategy planner and creditor accounting ledger to help you track every cost, calculate running interest, and make informed decisions about which enforcement steps to pursue.

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