Service Area
NYC Judgment Enforcement Lawyer
For creditors whose debtors live, bank, do business, or own property in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Staten Island.
New York City is not one jurisdiction for judgment enforcement purposes; it is five counties, each with its own county clerk, its own docketing requirements for a judgment lien on real property, and its own practical enforcement considerations. A judgment against a debtor with a Brooklyn brownstone, a Queens business, and a Manhattan bank account may require coordinated steps across three separate county clerks' offices.
My office is at 30 Wall Street, in the middle of that landscape. I represent judgment creditors enforcing money judgments against debtors connected to any of the five boroughs, using the same core tools available throughout New York: restraining notices under CPLR § 5222, information subpoenas under CPLR § 5224, and turnover proceedings under CPLR §§ 5225 and 5227, sequenced to the debtor's specific footprint in the city.
What Makes Enforcement in New York City Different
Two features of New York City practice regularly change how an enforcement strategy is built:
- City Marshals, not county sheriffs. Outside the five boroughs, judgment executions are handled by county sheriffs. Inside New York City, executions are carried out by licensed City Marshals appointed under the New York City Civil Court Act. Marshals operate under their own rules and schedules, and knowing how to work with them efficiently matters.
- Five separate counties for docketing. New York County (Manhattan), Kings County (Brooklyn), Queens County, Bronx County, and Richmond County (Staten Island) each maintain their own county clerk. A judgment lien on real property only attaches in the county where it is docketed, so a debtor who owns property in more than one borough may require the judgment to be docketed separately in each.
Neither of these is an obstacle so much as a set of variables that have to be accounted for at the start of a case, not discovered partway through one.
NYC Civil Court or New York State Supreme Court
Where an underlying judgment was entered, and where post-judgment proceedings belong, depends on the amount and the court that issued it. The New York City Civil Court has jurisdiction over civil claims up to $50,000 and hears a large share of the city's money judgments, while larger judgments and turnover proceedings often proceed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the relevant county. I evaluate which forum applies before selecting an enforcement path.
Tools in Detail
The Enforcement Toolkit, Applied Across the Boroughs
NYC Judgment Enforcement Frequently Asked Questions
Who actually seizes property to enforce a judgment in New York City?
Within the five boroughs, licensed City Marshals carry out executions, rather than the county sheriffs used elsewhere in New York State. Marshals work under the New York City Civil Court Act and coordinate directly with the judgment creditor's attorney on scheduling and logistics.
My debtor has property in more than one borough. Does that complicate things?
It requires additional steps rather than a different strategy. Each borough is its own county for docketing purposes, so a judgment lien on real property must generally be docketed separately with the county clerk in each borough where the debtor owns property.
Should my case be in NYC Civil Court or the Supreme Court?
It depends on the judgment amount and where it was entered. NYC Civil Court handles civil matters up to $50,000, while larger judgments and many turnover proceedings proceed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the relevant county. I review the underlying judgment to determine the correct forum for enforcement.
Do you handle judgment enforcement in Nassau County as well?
Yes. In addition to the five boroughs, I represent creditors enforcing judgments against debtors who live, bank, do business, or own property in Nassau County. Details are on the dedicated Nassau County judgment enforcement page.