Legal Definitions - Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act

The Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (UEFJA) is a standardized law adopted by most U.S. states. Its purpose is to create a straightforward and efficient process for enforcing a monetary judgment issued by a court in one state (referred to as a "foreign judgment") in another state.

Before the UEFJA, if you won a lawsuit in one state and the losing party moved to another state, you would typically have to file a new lawsuit in that second state to get a judgment that could be enforced there. The UEFJA eliminates this need by allowing you to simply register your existing judgment with a court in the new state. Once registered, the judgment is treated by the new state's courts as if it were originally issued by them, giving the judgment holder the same rights to collect the debt or enforce the order as if it were a local judgment.

Here are some examples of how the UEFJA might apply:

• Example 1: Individual Debt Collection Across State Lines

  Imagine a scenario where Maria lends her friend, David, $15,000, and David promises to repay her. David fails to pay, so Maria sues him in their home state of Oregon and wins a judgment for the full amount. However, David then moves to Washington state, taking his assets with him. Without the UEFJA, Maria might have to start a new lawsuit in Washington to collect. Instead, under the UEFJA, Maria can register her Oregon judgment with a court in Washington. Once registered, the Washington court will recognize the judgment, allowing Maria to use Washington's collection methods, such as garnishing David's wages or seizing his bank accounts in Washington, to recover the $15,000, just as if an Oregon court had issued the judgment.

• Example 2: Business Contract Dispute Enforcement

  Consider "Innovate Solutions Inc.," a software company based in Texas, which wins a $500,000 judgment against "Global Logistics Corp." for breach of a software development contract. Global Logistics Corp. has its headquarters in Delaware but maintains significant operational assets, including valuable equipment and bank accounts, in California. Innovate Solutions Inc. can utilize the UEFJA to register its Texas judgment in California. This registration allows them to immediately pursue collection efforts against Global Logistics Corp.'s assets located in California, such as freezing bank accounts or placing liens on property, without needing to re-litigate the entire contract dispute in a California court.

• Example 3: Landlord-Tenant Damages

  Suppose a landlord in Illinois obtains a court judgment against a former tenant for $7,500 to cover extensive property damages and unpaid rent. The tenant, however, has since moved to Missouri and started a new job there. To collect the judgment, the Illinois landlord can register the judgment with a court in Missouri under the UEFJA. Once the judgment is registered, the Missouri court will treat it as a Missouri judgment, enabling the landlord to pursue collection actions in Missouri, such as wage garnishment against the tenant's new income or placing a lien on any property the tenant might acquire in Missouri, without having to file a new lawsuit in Missouri.