It is one thing to win in court. It is quite another to actually collect the money due you. Collections can be complex. In a future segment we will go into greater depth on this issue. For now here is a quick overview.

The first step in the process was to find out all you could about a tenant before you rented to them. You can read more on good rental application techniques in our Owners Guide to Filling Vacancies, which covers Applications, Renting, Tenant Screening, Selection and Fair Housing.

At the second cause (money judgment) hearing have the clerk stamp an Order for Financial Disclosure . This requires the tenant to provide you with information that you can use to collect the judgment. If the tenant fails or refuses to do so within 15 days you can bring them back into court on a contempt motion. This could ultimately lead to them being arrested and jailed until they provide you with the information.

Once you know where they work and bank you can begin a garnishment action. These cases are held at 9:00 a.m. in room 400 of the Milwaukee County Courthouse. Mondays are the only day that pro se plaintiffs may bring garnishment or other money judgment actions. The court calendar is often long so bring a good book.

Tip: You may wish to consider hiring an attorney to collect your judgments for a percentage of the amount collected.

Tip: There are also people and firms that buy judgments. While they only pay a small percentage of the face value, this is more than you would receive if you do nothing to collect the judgment.