Even with a judgment against him you are going to have a hard time getting your money. I have judgments against two former clients of mine and it has proven all but impossible to collect any money from them. My choices are to hire a collections agency and give up half of what they manage to collect. Or wait years to find out what I need in order to enforce judgment. A judgment is nothing but a piece of paper saying someone owes you money as far as I am concerned.
Hmm... Maybe we're operating in different worlds. Or more likely I'm just stubborn enough to knock that brick wall down with my forehead
Both my father and I have good luck getting to people who have slighted us. This may not quite be apples and apples, but it's close enough that I think the lesson still applies: My father is the interference coordinater for one of the local HAM radio clubs and a few years ago they had somebody maliciously interfering with broadcasts. It took about a year and lots of calls & letters to the FCC, the state and US attorney General, and the white house (yes, really) but eventually the guy 1) had a $3000 fine assessed, 2) had the AG's office come after him for the money (at my father's request) and 3) had several police officers show up at his door and cuff him and take him into custody for not paying. In the end he paid, lost all his radio equipment, and had to sign an agreement to not operate on HAM frequencies in the future. In the end, it was the first lady who literally put a bug in the President's ear so he would ask the FCC why some guy kept writing them for what should be an FCC issue. Without that the FCC wouldn't have taken action that they could have, nor would the AG or the local police.....
It really is a matter of persistence. If you aren't willing to push and push and push, then you should not expect anything. The law is in our favor, but keep in mind that you have to be the squeaky wheel to get attention for what in the eyes of the enforcers is a petty crime.
Besides even if you give up half of what Rick owes you, wouldn't it be better to get
something... and to see his credit and/or personal life damaged in the process.
If 20 people who he owed money to sent debt to collections he would be pretty hosed from a credit standpoint. Chances are good that he needs what credit he has (most Americans do after all).
