If you have convinced the judge or jury that your side of the story is correct, and that you are entitled to some money from the person you sued, the judge will enter a "judgment" in your favor. But this doesn't get you any money. Sometimes the hardest part of the case is getting your money. In the vast majority of cases the person you sued will simply pay you after you win. If he or she does not, however, you must take legal steps to try to enforce your judgment.

There are a number of things you can do to encourage payment. The first thing you should do is file an "Abstract of Judgment." This is just a document the clerk of the court can prepare, and the you file with the deed records of each county you think the defendant owns property in. This puts a lien on all the property in the county that belongs to the defendant (except the defendant's home). If the defendant tries to sell the property, then the new buyer will take the land subject to the lien. Thus, the new buyer will insist that you be paid off. But this may take some time.

Therefore, you should also consider a "writ of execution." This device orders the constable or sheriff to take the debtor's "non-exempt" real or personal property and sell it to pay your judgment at a public auction. In Texas, much of what the average person owns is "exempt." Exempt property includes the person's home and most personal property, up to $30,000 in value for a single person and $60,000 for a married couple. However, a landlord almost always has property which may be sold at auction -- like the apartment or home they rented!

If unsuccessful, and you know where the landlord has money you should try a writ of garnishment. This device allows you to obtain any money that is owed to the person you sued. The most common type of money that a writ of garnishment is used for is a bank account. If you know where the person you sued has a bank account, you can go back to the clerk of the court and obtain a writ of garnishment to force the bank to turn over the money in the account to you.

If the judgment is for a significant amount (like $5,000), there are debt collectors and attorneys that may be willing to help you. However, you should probably only pay them by letting the take a percentage of what they collect.