Vermont Post-Judgment Enforcement Costs and Fees

Winning Is the Easy Part

You won your Vermont small claims case. The judge entered a money judgment in your favor. Now the debtor isn't paying, and you're looking at the enforcement tools — wage garnishment, bank attachment, financial disclosure hearings, writs of execution. Every one of them costs money upfront. Here's what each step actually costs and whether you can recover those fees.

Court Motion Filing Fees

Every post-judgment enforcement motion you file in the Superior Court Civil Division carries a filing fee. Under 32 V.S.A. § 1431, the fee for post-judgment small claims motions is $65.

This applies to:

• Motion for Financial Disclosure Hearing (Form 100-00279) — $65
• Motion for Trustee Process — Wage Garnishment (Form 100-00506) — $65
• Motion for Trustee Process — Non-Wage Garnishment (Form 100-00505) — $65
• Writ of Execution (Form 100-00502) — court execution fee applies

If you need to file multiple motions — say a disclosure hearing first, then a wage garnishment motion after you learn the debtor's employer — each motion requires its own $65 fee.

One exception: filing a Notification of Judgment Paid in Full (Form 100-00290) when the debtor finishes paying is free. No court fee for closing out the case.

Sheriff and Constable Service Fees

Most enforcement motions require formal service on the debtor (and sometimes on a third party like an employer or bank). Vermont county sheriffs and constables charge per-service fees that vary by county but generally run $50 to $100+ per service.

For wage garnishment, the sheriff serves two separate packets — one to the debtor and one to the employer — so you're paying for two services. The same applies to non-wage trustee process (bank attachment): one packet to the debtor, one to the bank.

Financial disclosure hearings have a wrinkle. If the court has an address for the debtor less than one year old, the clerk mails the hearing notice directly and you avoid sheriff service fees. But if the address is over a year old, you arrange personal service through a sheriff, which means paying that fee yourself.

Town Clerk Recording Fees

If you're recording a judgment lien against the debtor's real property, you bring a certified copy of the judgment to the town clerk's office where the property sits. Under 32 V.S.A. § 1671, the recording fee is $15 per page. A typical two-page judgment order costs $30 to record.

Fee Waivers

If you can't afford the upfront costs, Vermont allows you to apply for a fee waiver using the Application to Waive Filing Fees and Service Costs (Form 600-00228). The court reviews your financial situation and can waive both the filing fee and the cost of sheriff service. This doesn't eliminate recording fees at the town clerk's office, which are separate from court fees.

Can You Add Enforcement Costs to the Judgment?

Yes — generally. Post-judgment enforcement costs including court motion fees and sheriff service fees can be added to the total judgment balance. This means the debtor ultimately owes you the original judgment amount plus 12% annual interest plus the costs you spent enforcing it.

Keep a ledger. Track every fee you pay — the $65 motion filing fees, the sheriff service charges, the recording fees. When you file for wage garnishment or a writ of execution, the application asks you to state the current balance including accrued costs and interest. An accurate ledger makes that calculation straightforward and gives the court a clear picture of what's owed.

When the Math Doesn't Work

For larger judgments — say $3,000 to $10,000 — spending $65 on a garnishment motion plus $100 in sheriff service fees is a reasonable investment. But for a $500 judgment, stacking up $200+ in enforcement costs starts to look questionable, especially if the debtor's income turns out to be exempt.

Before filing any enforcement motion, consider what you know about the debtor's financial situation. If the debtor's only income is Social Security, SSI, public assistance, or other protected benefits, wage garnishment isn't available regardless of what you spend. A financial disclosure hearing ($65 plus potential service costs) can help you find out what the debtor actually has before you commit to more expensive tools.

Our Vermont judgment collection guide walks through the full enforcement sequence — which tool to use based on what you know about the debtor's assets — along with a payment tracking ledger for logging every cost, payment, and interest calculation.

See more Vermont guides →