Removing A CCJ From Your Credit Reports

If you’ve received a County Court Judgement (CCJ) at any point you may be concerned about the potential impact this could have on your credit record and ability to secure new credit facilities – mortgage, bank loan or even mobile phone contract – in the near future. 

Read on to find out what steps you can take to remove a CCJ from your credit file and how long you need to wait before it disappears from your credit history. You can also download your credit reports for free to check for yourself the effect the CCJ has had. 

How to remove a CCJ from your credit reports

There are three ways you can have a CCJ removed from your credit records. One of which could actually ensure the CCJ doesn’t show at all. They are as follows: 

Pay off the CCJ within one month. 

If you repay the amount required on the CCJ in full within one month of the judgement the court who issued the judgement will inform the Registry Trust (a register of all CCJs issued in the UK) who will then remove it from their records. 

You would need to apply for a ‘certificate of cancellation’ from the County Court and provide them with proof the payment has been made for the full amount of the CCJ (using court form N443). In addition to the payment there will also be a court fee of £15. 

In this instance it will be as though the CCJ never happened and is the best option if you want to ensure this issue has any impact at all on your credit record.  

Apply to have the CCJ set aside

If your CCJ has been classified as a default judgement – where a defendant refuses to acknowledge a claim or put in a defence – then you can make a request to the court to set this aside. 

In order to get the court to agree to set aside the CCJ, you would need to able to prove that the claimant hasn’t followed certain procedural rules, such as: 

• The forms were posted to the wrong address
• You were away from your home when the court papers were sent to you
• There is a realistic prospect you can successfully defend this case against you
• You have indicated that your intention is to repay the amount owed in full

You would need to complete a form N244 if you wish to take this action (and pay a court fee). If successful in setting your CCJ aside the court will then inform the Registry Trust of this decision who will then remove it from your credit record. 

Wait six years 

After six years from the point the judgement was first registered the Registry Trust will remove it from your credit records automatically without any further action needed on your part. 

This will happen regardless of whether you have repaid the amount outstanding or not. However, during this period a creditor can still enforce the terms of the CCJ and instruct bailiffs, if necessary, in order to recover the money they are owed. 

This option may mean you don’t have to repay any money, at least straight away, but it’s a long time to wait whilst the CCJ remains on your credit records. 

How long does a CCJ stay on your credit file? 

As outlined above, this all depends on when you repay the full amount outstanding. If you do this within one month of the original judgement you can have the CCJ removed straight away. 

If you choose to repay it after one month, or are unable to have the CCJ set aside, then it will remain on your credit reports for six years before the Registry Trust removes it automatically. 

Download your credit reports today

Once a CCJ is registered on your credit record, this could have a serious effect not just on your ability to secure new finance agreements but could also hamper your day-to-day life, such as reducing new employment opportunities where clean credit records are a requirement for the role. 

The best way to keep track of exactly how much impact the CCJ has had is to regularly monitor your credit records. You can download your reports for free right now by simply clicking on the button below.