Adding Names To A Judgment

I am not a lawyer, I am a judgment referral expert (Judgment Broker). This article is my opinion about adding AKA (Also Known As) debtor names to civil judgments. This article is based on my experience in California. Laws vary in each state, and nothing in any of my articles can ever be considered legal advice.

Sometimes you sue someone, and later they change their name. Sometimes you were hurrying to sue an someone, and did not have time to find out all the names they are doing business as, or use. Sometimes debtors start a DBA (Doing Business As) businesses, or you later discover this after the judgment was awarded.

To add a new judgment debtor entity to a judgment, usually requires a complex and expensive new lawsuit and court trial. This is because you have to persuade a judge to add a judgment debtor to a judgment, which requires personal service on all parties, money, luck, a bunch of of evidence, and a full court trial.

However, many times all you need to do is add an AKA or a DBA to a judgment. Examples are when you discover the judgment debtor has become married and now uses a different last name, or owns a non-corporate business, has other names they use, or they changed their name. In this case, the court procedure is much easier, you can just do an Affidavit Of Identity.

An Affidavit Of Identity (AOI) does not add new debtors to a judgment, it is only a request to the court to add the AKAs and DBAs of a judgment debtor. An AOI can also be obtained for a corporate business debtor that has a DBA business name.

As an example, if you sue Barry Clark, and you later discover he uses (and maintains a bank account) under the name of Barry William Davis Clark, or if Barry starts a non-corporate business as a DBA, an AOI can be used.

Note that an AOI cannot be used to add Barry's spouse to a judgment, or his Class C corporation, or his business partner. To do this requires a new lawsuit to prove alter-ego, or veil-piercing, fraudulent transfers, etc. AOIs can only add other names that Barry uses to the judgment.

One can get an AOI with the court once, and the updated names will be on the judgment at the courthouse. For the life of the judgment, one must use the amended names. For example, if you got a AOI to add the AKA of Barry David William Clark, all future writs, motions, and future paperwork must the naming of Barry Clark AKA Barry David William Clark.

As an alternative, one can [make an AOI for a particular bank levy. If Barry has a DBA business called Barry's , and has a bank account with that fictitious name, one could make an affirmation with some evidence such as a certified copy of a Fictitious Business Name (FBN) certificate, and attach it to the writ for each levy attempt.

In California, to levy a bank account that is a DBA of the judgment debtor, you are required to provide a certified copy of their FBN certificate. But what if it has expired? If your circumstances do not fit into one of the exceptions listed under CCP 700.160, then you must get a court order to perform the levy. Getting a AOI done first fixes this problem.

To get a court hearing for your AOI, you must prepare paperwork, file it with the court, and get the debtor served (sometimes by mail) notice of the AOI court hearing.

At the hearing, one can point out that even when the debtor lets their FBN lapse, their DBA or FBN should be added to the judgment because it's still an alternate name of the debtor. Also, at a court hearing designed only to add an (AKA, FBN, or DBA) of a judgment debtor, but not take their assets at that time, the debtor is less likely to show up, and you will win your AOI.

Most Often cases, AOI orders are "nun pro tunc orders", meaning "now for then", retroactively altering the debtor name on the judgment as if that was the name they were sued as.

Many small claims court make you use their forms, in California it is form # SC-105. On this form you just ask the court to add Barry William Davis Clark as a DBA of Barry Clark, so this judgment can be recovered. Then you provide the proof you have - for example, a check from the judgment debtor, a document, a database search, etc.

If the court does not provide their own forms, see the text below. I am not an attorney, and this text is just an example, and is not guaranteed to work in your court. It is meant as a starting reference to modify, to work in the court and state you are working in:

Your Name and Capacity (Original Judgment Creditor or Assignee Of Record, In Pro Per)

Your address, phone, fax, and email.

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA

Paul Plaintiff (Plaintiff)

vs

Dan Debtor (Defendant)

CASE NUMBER: case number

DECLARATION, AFFIDAVIT OF IDENTITY, Proposed ORDER, AND POINTS OF AUTHORITIES. (In California: CCP 680.135 and CCP 674.(c)(1))

COMES NOW Paul Plaintiff, in the within matter, and hereby provides the following Declaration in support of an AFFIDAVIT OF IDENTITY:

1) I am the (Original Judgment Creditor or Assignee of Record) in this matter. I am over 18 years of age. I have personal knowledge of the facts herein, except as to those facts stated to be known upon information and belief, and as to those facts, I believe them to be true. If called upon to testify, I could and would competently testify thereto.

2) On October 10th, 2010, the court entered a judgment in this action in favor of PAUL PLAINTIFF and against DAN DEBTOR, in the amount of $20,000 principal, plus $150.00 in costs, together with interest at 10 percent per annum, is still outstanding.

3) In reviewing (In Camera) public records from sources supplied to the court (name your evidence sources attached) - it is clear that the debtor's name DAN DEBTOR is also known as DANIAL DEBTOR and DANIAL ZE DEBTOR. Each alias has the same social security number and date of birth.

4) For this reason, in preparation for enforcement of this judgment by actions including filing Writs of Execution from this court, I wish to list on the judgment the name(s) DANIAL DEBTOR and DANIAL ZE DEBTOR as aliases of DAN DEBTOR.

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct. Signed this 8th day of May, 2010 at San Jose, California.

____________________________________________ (Original Judgment Creditor or Assignee Of Record, In Pro Per)

Order Approving Affidavit of Identity.

The affidavit of identity having been considered by the court and good cause appearing, IT IS ORDERED that the name(s) DANIAL DEBTOR and DANIAL ZE DEBTOR as aliases of DAN DEBTOR be added to the Judgment, Writ of Execution, Abstract of Judgment, and other documents necessary to enforce this judgment.

Dated and signed : ________________________

Judge or Commissioner of the Superior Court of California

MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES In California, CCP 680.135 and CCP 674 (1).