West Virginia Satisfaction of Judgment — How to Release and Close the Case

The debtor finally paid — now what? In West Virginia, collecting the money isn't the last step. You have a legal obligation to formally close the case and release any recorded liens. Skipping this can block the debtor's property titles indefinitely and create liability for you.

Filing the Release of Judgment

Once the debtor has paid the full judgment — principal, accrued interest, and all awarded court costs — you complete Form SCA-M657 (Release of Judgment). Your signature must be notarized or acknowledged before a Magistrate Clerk, Assistant, or Notary Public under W. Va. Code § 38-12-4.

File the signed form with the Magistrate Court Clerk. This closes the case on the court docket and formally ends all enforcement authority.

Releasing Recorded Judgment Liens

If you recorded an Abstract of Judgment with any County Commission Clerk to create a real estate lien, filing Form SCA-M657 with the Magistrate Court alone isn't enough. You also need to record a certified copy of the release with the County Clerk in every county where the abstract was filed.

Until the release is recorded in the county deed books, the lien stays on the debtor's property title. This can prevent them from selling or refinancing, and they may come after you for damages if the delay is unreasonable.

Notifying Employers and Banks

If you had active enforcement tools running — a suggestee execution pulling wages from an employer or a Suggestion served on a bank — send written notice of satisfaction to those third parties. Without notice, the employer may keep withholding wages or the bank may continue to hold funds, creating complications for everyone.

Partial Satisfaction

If you agree to accept less than the full balance, confirm how to document the agreement and any partial release with a West Virginia attorney. Form SCA-M657 is for releasing a judgment after full payment. If you've been tracking payments properly (applying them first to interest, then costs, then principal as required), your records should show exactly when the balance hits zero.

What Happens If You Don't File

Failing to release a satisfied judgment creates problems beyond the debtor's inconvenience. The judgment remains on public records, the lien continues encumbering property, and the debtor may have grounds to seek damages against you for wrongfully maintaining a satisfied judgment on their record.

The judgment collection guide includes a Satisfaction & Closing Checklist that walks through every step from confirming full payment to clearing multi-county liens.

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