Information from CreditExpert

Serafina

Hi there

A few weeks ago I went to my HSBC branch to apply for a personal loan for £15k. I was refused and told that I had a CCJ against me. This was a complete surprise and I checked my credit report with Experian aka CreditExpert. I found that this was for a store credit card from 2001 that I thought had been paid off long ago. The CCJ was registered in Nov 2006. I can probably make other lending arrangements until the end of 2012 when the CCJ will be cleared.

However, I was speaking to Experian this evening to get my file updated to reflect I was on the Electoral Roll. The person I was speaking to said that even when the CCJ is cleared companies searching my file will still be able to see that I had the debt with the original lender outside of the 6 years. Is this true?

andy.m_2

If you are hoping to ride it out until 2012 as get a time barring then the debt will be seen as unpaid, even though it is unenforceable.

It is not the get out of jail card that people often think it is.

Serafina

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Do you mean that if I don't pay the CCJ the original debt will always show up on my credit report as being unpaid?

Tixy

CCJs stay on your file for 6years from the judgement date (this is in the public records section of your credit report). Once the CCJ is paid you need to obtain a certificate of satisfaction to update your credit files and the registery trusts online register of CCJs to show that the CCJ has been paid. The CCJ will then remain on file as satisfied for the remainder of those 6years.

If you haven't paid the CCJ after 6years then the debt is still owed and the creditor could still go back to court to enforce the CCJ after this time (e.g. by appointing bailiffs or attachment of earnings etc).

The actual credit account on your credit file (in the account information section of the report) will stay on your file for 6years from the date of default. After that it will be removed and no longer be seen by anyone looking at your file. This will be a different date to when the CCJ is removed from your credit file.

Serafina

Thanks Tixy. A very clear explanation. I guess I should pay the CCJ.