How Long Does a Judgment Last in Maine?

The 20-Year Rule

Under 14 M.R.S. § 864, a money judgment issued by a Maine court carries a 20-year statutory presumption of payment. After 20 years from the date the judgment was entered, the law presumes the debt has been satisfied unless you rebut that presumption or take action before it expires.

For small claims judgments, this means you have two decades to collect. That's a long runway — but it's not unlimited, and some of the enforcement tools within that window have shorter clocks of their own.

Lien Duration Is Shorter

If you record a judgment lien by filing a writ of execution at the Registry of Deeds, the lien lasts 10 years from the recording date (for liens recorded on or after September 1, 2020). You can renew it once for another 10 years by recording a renewal writ before the original term expires.

Older liens recorded before September 1, 2020, were subject to a 20-year duration under the prior version of 14 M.R.S. § 4651-A. Either way, letting a lien lapse without renewal means losing your priority position against the property.

Writs of Execution Expire Too

A writ of execution is returnable within three years of issuance. If three years pass and the sheriff hasn't executed it, you'll need to request a fresh writ from the District Court clerk. The $25 preparation fee applies each time.

Post-Judgment Interest Keeps Running

The 20-year clock doesn't pause the interest meter. Post-judgment interest accrues from the date of judgment at the one-year Treasury bill rate plus 6%, calculated as simple interest on the principal, including during an appeal. Interest is suspended for a continuance requested and obtained by the prevailing party for more than 30 days; on the debtor's petition and a showing of good cause, the court may waive it in whole or in part. Over a multi-year collection process, this adds up meaningfully — using an illustrative 10.5% rate, a $5,000 judgment would accrue $525 per year.

You can recover this interest as part of the enforceable judgment balance. The running total matters when you eventually file for satisfaction of judgment.

What Happens at Year 20

If the 20-year mark arrives and you haven't collected, the judgment is presumed paid as a matter of law. The debtor can assert this presumption as a defense against any further enforcement.

To avoid this, you can file an action on the judgment before the 20 years expire to renew the obligation. But for most small claims amounts, a judgment that hasn't been collected in 20 years is unlikely to become collectible.

The Practical Takeaway

Twenty years is generous, but don't let it breed complacency. The best time to collect is shortly after judgment — while you know where the debtor lives and works, and before they move, change banks, or develop new debts that compete with yours.

The Maine judgment collection guide includes a timeline tracker covering every relevant deadline — the 30-day appeal window, the 3-year writ return period, the 10-year lien term, and the 20-year judgment lifespan — so nothing lapses while you're focused on enforcement.

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