How to Find a Judgment Debtor's Assets in New Jersey

You Can't Levy What You Can't Find

The most common sticking point for judgment creditors in New Jersey isn't choosing an enforcement tool — it's figuring out where the debtor's money actually is. A bank levy requires the bank name, branch address, and last four digits of the account number. A wage execution requires the employer's name and address. Without that information, you can't file any of the enforcement paperwork.

New Jersey gives you several ways to locate assets, ranging from formal court mechanisms to public record searches.

Court-Ordered Discovery: Information Subpoenas

The primary tool is the Information Subpoena (Appendix XI-L, Form CN 11840). This court document commands the debtor to disclose their income, bank accounts, real estate, employment, and personal property under penalty of perjury. Serve it by certified mail, return receipt requested, and regular mail; the debtor must respond within 14 calendar days of receipt.

If you already suspect specific third parties hold the debtor's assets, use the non-party Information Subpoena (Appendix XI-R, Form CN 10191). Serve it by certified mail, return receipt requested, and regular mail directly on:

• Banks — to confirm whether the debtor holds accounts there
• Employers — to verify current employment and pay frequency
• Business partners — to identify income streams or receivables

The third party must respond within 14 calendar days of receipt. Non-party subpoenas are particularly useful when you expect the debtor to be uncooperative.

Public Record Searches

You don't need a court order to search public records. Several sources can reveal assets before or alongside the formal subpoena process:

County property records. Search the county tax assessor or deed records for real estate in the debtor's name. New Jersey has 21 counties, and most maintain searchable online databases for property ownership and tax assessments.

NJ Motor Vehicle Commission. A certified lien search from the NJ MVC reveals whether the debtor owns registered vehicles and whether existing loans or liens encumber them. A Writ of Execution can target a vehicle if you establish registered ownership and equity; an outstanding auto loan does not by itself rule out seizure.

Business registrations. The New Jersey Department of the Treasury's Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) maintains a searchable database of registered business entities. If the debtor owns or is an officer of an LLC or corporation, the business may hold assets or pay the debtor income.

Court records. The New Jersey Judiciary's Public Access portal shows other judgments and liens against the debtor. If they're involved in other litigation, court filings may reference bank accounts, employment, or property.

What to Do When the Debtor Hides Assets

A debtor who ignores an Information Subpoena faces a court-controlled compliance process. The creditor can file a Motion to Enforce Litigant's Rights (Packet CN 10546, no filing fee in Small Claims Section cases); if the debtor then ignores the court's order after the 15-day post-order grace period, the judge may issue a Warrant for Arrest or Order for Execution.

But some debtors don't ignore the subpoena — they return incomplete or misleading answers. If you suspect the debtor is understating assets:

• Cross-reference their subpoena answers against public records and any information you already have (checks they wrote you, deposit records, employment history from the original case)
• Serve non-party subpoenas on banks or employers named in their answers to independently verify the information
• File a second subpoena after six months if you believe their financial situation has changed — a debtor who was unemployed at subpoena time may now have a job

The debtor must provide complete answers under penalty of perjury; false or misleading answers may subject them to punishment by the court.

Match the Asset to the Right Enforcement Tool

Once you've identified assets, pick the enforcement path:

Our New Jersey judgment collection guide walks through each of these enforcement paths with the specific forms, deadlines, and fees — from the initial subpoena through to collecting the money.

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