CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2295

Chapter 25, Laws of 2020

66TH LEGISLATURE

2020 REGULAR SESSION

SMALL CLAIMS COURT JUDGMENTS--ENFORCEMENT

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 11, 2020

SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2295

ByHouse Civil Rights & Judiciary (originally sponsored by Representatives Goodman, Griffey, Irwin, and Wylie)

AN ACT Relating to enforcement of small claims court judgments; and amending RCW 12.40.105.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 12.40.105 and 2019 c 251 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Upon the judge's entry of judgment in a small claims action, the judgment is certified as a district court civil judgment and shall be increased by: (a) The amount specified in RCW 36.18.012(2); (b) any post judgment interest provided for in RCW 4.56.110 and 19.52.020; and (c) any other costs incurred by the prevailing party to enforce the judgment, including but not limited to reasonable attorneys' fees, without regard to the jurisdictional limits on the small claims department.

(2) The clerk of the small claims department shall enter the civil judgment on the judgment docket of the district court; and, ((as in other judgments of district courts, once the judgment is entered on the district court's docket))if the losing party fails to pay the judgment within thirty days after such entry, garnishment, execution, and other process on execution provided by law may issue thereon.

(3) A certified copy of the district court judgment shall be provided to the prevailing party for no additional fee.

(4) ((The))If the losing party fails to pay the judgment within thirty days after entry of the judgment on the judgment docket of the district court, the prevailing party may file a transcript of the district court civil judgment or a certified copy of the district court judgment with superior courts for entry in the superior courts' lien dockets with like effect as in other cases.

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