Section 1813. Duty to pay judgments  


Latest version.
  • (a)  Any  person,  partnership, firm or corporation which is sued in a
      small claims court for any cause of action arising out of  its  business
      activities,  shall pay any judgment rendered against it in its true name
      or in any name in which it conducts business. "True name"  includes  the
      legal  name  of a natural person and the name under which a partnership,
      firm or corporation is licensed, registered, incorporated  or  otherwise
      authorized  to  do  business.    "Conducting  business"  as used in this
      section shall include, but not  be  limited  to,  maintaining  signs  at
      business  premises  or  on business vehicles; advertising; entering into
      contracts; and printing  or  using  sales  slips,  checks,  invoices  or
      receipts.    Whenever  a  judgment  has  been rendered against a person,
      partnership, firm or corporation in other than its  true  name  and  the
      judgment  has  remained unpaid for thirty-five days after receipt by the
      judgment debtor of notice of its entry, the aggrieved judgment  creditor
      shall  be  entitled  to commence an action in small claims court against
      such judgment debtor, notwithstanding the jurisdictional  limit  of  the
      court,   for  the  sum  of  the  original  judgment,  costs,  reasonable
      attorney's fees, and one hundred dollars.
        (b) Whenever a judgment  which  relates  to  activities  for  which  a
      license  is  required  has  been  rendered  against  a business which is
      licensed by a state or  local  licensing  authority  and  which  remains
      unpaid  for  thirty-five  days  after  receipt by the judgment debtor of
      notice of its entry and the judgment has not been  stayed  or  appealed,
      the  state  or  local licensing authority shall consider such failure to
      pay, if deliberate or part of a pattern of  similar  conduct  indicating
      recklessness, as a basis for the revocation, suspension, conditioning or
      refusal  to  grant  or  renew  such  license.  Nothing  herein  shall be
      construed to preempt an  authority's  existing  policy  if  it  is  more
      restrictive.
        (c)  The  clerk shall attach to the notice of suit required under this
      article a notice of the duty imposed by this section.