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Credit Reports Q&A 2

What is a Notice of Correction?

A Notice of Correction is a short (200 words max) explanatory note you can add to an entry on your credit report to explain the background to that information. Anyone searching your report in the future or who has seen it in the previous six months will see the Notice of Correction, and they must take account of it when you apply for credit.

How do I add a Notice of Correction to my credit report?

Use the “Query Your Report” tab to send us the text for your Notice of Correction (200 words max), quoting the entries you want us to add the note to. Alternatively, you can post the text to us at the following address.

Experian Ltd
PO Box 9000
Nottingham NG80 7WP

We’ll make the necessary changes to your report. Any note we believe to be defamatory, libellous, incorrect, or frivolous may be referred to the Information Commissioner for arbitration.

What is a judgment?

A judgment is a record of a debt, entered on the public register to show that an individual has been taken to court for the recovery of a sum of money. If a company (or individual) has been unsuccessful recovering an amount of money that is owed to them, they can take the matter to court. Records of money judgments are held on file for six years from the date the judgment was registered. The information is supplied to us by Registry Trust Ltd, an independent organisation set up by the Lord Chancellor's Department. Their web site has many FAQs about judgments, and their address is Registry Trust Ltd, 173/175 Cleveland Street, London, W1T 6RQ. 484

What are the different types of judgments?

In England and Wales, money judgments are issued in the county courts, so they are called county court judgements (CCJs).

Judgments issued in Scotland are referred to as decrees and are issued through the Sheriff's Courts. Northern Ireland judgments are issued by the Northern Ireland Court Service. They were formerly issued by the Enforcement of Judgments Office

How does Registry Trust obtain its information?

Registry Trust obtains its information in many ways, depending on where a judgement is issued.

England and Wales. Registry Trust Ltd is contracted by the Lord Chancellor, under the Register of County Court Judgments Regulations 1985 (amended 1990), to maintain the statutory public register for all county court judgments and administration orders registered by the county courts in England and Wales for the preceding six years. Amendments to the register can only be made upon receipt of written instructions from the relevant county court.

Scotland. By agreement with the Scottish Courts Service, Registry Trust Ltd maintains a public register for all Small Claims and Summary Cause money decrees entered in the Sheriff's Courts in Scotland during the preceding six years. Registry Trust employs agents to collect decree data from the courts. Details of Recalls/Dismissals, etc, are also collected and enable the removal of decrees from the register. There is no arrangement through the courts to add satisfactions to decree data. To provide parity with the England and Wales register, upon receipt of acceptable proof of payment, the decree can be marked as satisfied, or deleted if paid within one month.

Isle of Man. By agreement with the Isle of Man Government, Registry Trust maintains a public register for all summary court judgments registered during the preceding six years. The General Registry provides the data, and supplies details of Satisfactions and Cancellations, but does not issue Certificates for defendants.

Jersey. By arrangement with the Judicial Greffe, Registry Trust maintains a public register for judgment data issued by the Petty Debts Courts and the Royal Courts of Justice.

Northern Ireland. Registry Trust acts as a clearing house in processing Northern Ireland judgments for credit reference agencies. Enforced judgment data was processed until May 1996, details being received from the Enforcement of Judgments Office, Belfast. These have been updated where Certificates of Unenforceability or Withdrawals have been issued. Registry Trust no longer receives any information from the Enforcements Office. Since May 1996 Registry Trust has been processing unenforced, undefended default, and small claims judgments received direct from the county courts, via the Northern Ireland Court Service

How do I pay a county court judgment?

You need to make payment directly to the plaintiff (the individual or organisation that took the case to court). We do not hold the details of plaintiffs but if you contact the court with the case number included on your report they can give you this information.

I paid my judgment. Why is still on my report?

Judgments are kept on your report for six years. If it is paid, it can be updated to read as satisfied but will remain on your report. However, judgments paid within one month can be removed from your report. For county court judgments you will need to obtain a Certificate of Satisfaction from the court before we are able to update our records.

How do I remove a paid judgment from my report?

England and Wales. If you paid a judgment contact the County Court concerned and ask for a Certificate of Satisfaction or, if you paid within one calendar month, a Certificate of Cancellation. Be sure to include the official fee of £10 payable to HM Paymaster General. Once a Certificate is issued an amendment is made to the public record and Registry Trust Ltd will notify the credit reference agencies (Equifax, Callcredit, and Experian) of the change within four weeks and records will then be amended, if applicable.

Satisfied judgments are retained for six years from the date of the judgment. Judgments that have been paid within one calendar month will be removed from our records.

Scotland. If you paid a Scottish Decree then, using the address below, send Registry Trust Ltd original proof of payment from the pursuer (the person or organisation that took you to court). The proof of payment should include the name of the court concerned, the amount, date, case number, and the date it was paid in full. You should also enclose a search fee of £4.50.

Northern Ireland. If you paid a Northern Ireland judgment then send Registry Trust Limited original proof of payment from the pursuer (the person or organisation that took you to court), using the address below. The proof of payment should include the name of the court concerned, the amount, date, case number, and the date it was paid in full. You should also enclose a search fee of £4.50.

The address for Registry Trust is:

Registry Trust Limited
173/175 Cleveland Street
London   W1P 5PE

If Registry Trust are able to amend their records from the documentation you provide, they will notify all credit reference agencies of the change.

Under what circumstances can a judgment be removed from my credit report?
I paid a judgment within one month. Can it be removed from my credit report?

England and Wales. If you have paid a county court judgment within a month then you need to obtain a 'Certificate of Satisfaction' from the County Court. You will need to pay the official fee of £10 (payable to HM Paymaster General). All credit reference agencies will then be notified within four weeks and remove the judgment from your report (if applicable).

Scotland. If you have paid a Scottish Decree within one month then send Registry Trust Limited original proof of payment from the pursuer (the person or organisation that took you to court), using the address below. The proof of payment should include the name of the court concerned, the amount, date, case number, and the date it was paid in full. You should also enclose a search fee of £4.50.

Northern Ireland. If a Northern Ireland judgment has been made within a month then send Registry Trust Limited original proof of payment from the pursuer (the person or organisation that took you to court), using the address below. The proof of payment should include the name of the court concerned, the amount, date, case number, and the date it was paid.

If Registry Trust can amend its records from the documentation you provide, they will notify all credit reference agencies (Equifax, Callcredit, and Experian) to make sure the judgment (Scotland) or decree (N. Ireland) is removed from your report. The address to write to is:

Registry Trust Ltd
173-175 Cleveland Street
London   W1P 5PE 510

What should I do if I believe the judgment details on my report are wrong?

Judgment information is taken from the public record and we cannot change it unless it is first amended by the court. If you have queries about the information you should contact the county court or local sheriff's court concerned. Court addresses are given at the back of your report. All credit reference agencies (Equifax, Callcredit, and Experian) will be notified of any amendments within four weeks.

Can I get a judgment related to an insurance claim removed from my report?

Yes. If you provide us with a letter from the insurance company that was responsible for the judgment. The insurance company's letter should refer to the date, amount, and case number of the judgment.
A judgment and defaulted credit account on my report relate to the same debt. Can one be removed?
Unfortunately not. Both entries are relevant because the judgment shows the case was taken to court, while the account details explain how the account was conducted prior to that. You can however add a short explanatory statement, called a 'Notice of Correction', to your credit report. Anyone searching your details in the future will see it and it may affect their decision. An example of an appropriate Notice of Correction is shown below.

"I, Mr/Mrs X, would like it to be know that the judgment for £XXX.XX and the defaulted account dated MM/DD/YY both relate to the same debt. I ask anyone searching my report to take this into account."

Information reproduced with thanks to Experian
www.experian.co.uk