How to Find Debtor Assets in Michigan After Winning Small Claims

You have a Michigan small claims judgment, the 21-day waiting period has passed, and the debtor hasn't paid. The problem now is figuring out where to aim. Wage garnishment requires an employer name. Bank garnishment requires the name of a bank or other financial institution. Without this information, you're filing blind — and a garnishment writ served on the wrong institution just wastes your $15 filing fee and $35 disclosure fee.

The Debtor Examination Is Your Primary Tool

Michigan's formal asset discovery mechanism is the debtor examination through SCAO Form MC 11. You file with the court ($15), a judge signs a subpoena ordering the debtor to appear under oath, and a process server delivers it in person. At the hearing, the debtor must answer questions about their employer, bank accounts, income, property, and other assets.

This is the most reliable method because the debtor testifies under oath. Lying is perjury. Not showing up can lead to contempt proceedings and a bench warrant.

What You Can Discover

Form MC 11 lets you compel the debtor to produce financial documents. Request:

• Pay stubs from the last 60 days (identifies the employer and pay frequency)
• Bank statements from the last 3 months (identifies account numbers and balances)
• Income tax returns (shows all income sources, including self-employment)
• Vehicle titles (shows ownership and whether there's a lien)
• Real estate deeds or mortgage statements (shows property equity)

With this information, you can match each asset to the correct enforcement form: wages to MC 12, bank funds to MC 13, personal property to MC 19, and real estate to MC 94.

Public Records Before the Hearing

You don't have to walk into a debtor exam completely blind. Several public sources can give you a head start:

County Register of Deeds — Search the county where the debtor lives. Real property records show ownership, mortgage amounts, and recorded liens. Many Michigan counties offer free online searches through their Register of Deeds website.

Secretary of State vehicle records — Michigan does not provide open public vehicle searches, but if you know the debtor's license plate number from the original dispute, that connects to registration records. The debtor exam is the more reliable route for vehicle information.

Business filings — If the debtor operates a business, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) maintains entity records online showing registered agents, addresses, and sometimes officer names.

Social media and public profiles — Not a legal discovery tool, but publicly available information about a debtor's employer (LinkedIn, for example) can help you decide whether to start with wage garnishment.

When the Debtor Has Nothing

Sometimes the debtor exam reveals that the debtor is genuinely judgment-proof — unemployed, on public assistance, no bank accounts with meaningful balances, no property of value. Michigan exempts Social Security, SSI, VA benefits, unemployment, and workers' compensation from garnishment entirely. Household goods, clothing, and tools of the trade are protected up to statutory limits.

In this situation, you don't have to give up. Michigan judgments last 10 years under MCL 600.5809(3) and are renewable for another 10. You can file another debtor examination later if the debtor's financial situation changes — gets a job, opens a bank account, buys property. Interest continues accruing the entire time under MCL 600.6013.

The Michigan Judgment Collection Roadmap includes a complete asset-to-form matching guide and tracks the full enforcement sequence from discovery through satisfaction.

See more Michigan guides →