General Information
Read this form.
Fill out Form EJ-165, Financial Statement.
SC-220-INFO
Payments in Small Claims Cases
The court will mail all other plaintiffs and defendants
in the case copies of your Request to Make Payments
and Financial Statement, this information form, and a
blank Form SC-221, Response to Request to Make
Payments.
If the court ordered you to pay money, you can ask
the court for permission to make payments. Here’s how:
Fill out Form SC-220, Request to Make Payments.
Fill out one form for each plaintiff or defendant
(judgment creditor) you want to make payments to.
The other parties will have 10 days to file a
Response. Then, the court will mail all plaintiffs and
defendants in the case:
When is the judgment due?
Unless the court orders otherwise, small claims judgments
are due immediately. If the judgment is not paid in full
within 30 days, the judgment creditor (person to whom the
money is owed) can take legal steps to collect any unpaid
amount. (Collection may be postponed if an appeal or a
request to vacate (cancel) or correct the judgment is filed.)
Can the judgment debtor make payments?
A party who was ordered to pay a small claims judgment
(the judgment debtor) can ask the court for permission to
make payments. If the court agrees, the party who is owed
money (the judgment creditor) cannot take any other steps
to collect the money as long as the payments are made
on time.
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File your completed forms with the small claims
court clerk.
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A decision on the Request to Make Payments or
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A notice to go to a hearing.
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Is interest added after the judgment?
Interest (10 percent per year) is usually added to the
unpaid amount of the judgment from the date the judgment
is entered until it is paid in full. Interest can only be
charged on the unpaid amount of the judgment (the
principal); interest cannot be charged on any unpaid
Read this form and the Request.
If you do not agree with the Request or you want to
be paid interest, file a Response within 10 days
after the court clerk mailed the Request to you.
(This date is on the Clerk’s Certificate of Mailing.) If you
do not do this, the court may allow the person who
owes you money to make payments. And, you may
lose your rights to collect interest on the judgment.
If the court ordered someone to pay you money,
and that person has filed a Request to Make Payments…
If you agree with the Request, you do not need to do
anything.
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When the court allows payments, the court often does not
order any interest, as long as all payments are made in full
and on time. Unless the creditor asks for interest to be
included in the order allowing payments, the creditor may
lose any claims for interest. But, if the debtor does not make
full payments on time, interest on the missed payment or
the entire unpaid balance might become due and collectible.
How do I calculate interest?
If you are proposing a payment schedule that includes
interest, you need to itemize the principal and interest for
each payment. To do this, you can search on the Internet
for “free amortization calculator.”
Enter the total amount of
the judgment as the principal, the interest rate of 10
percent per year, the frequency of payments (monthly,
weekly, etc.), and the number or length of payments. Print
the results showing the payment amount and how each
payment is divided between principal and interest. Attach
this to your Request or Response.
Answers to Common Questions
Fill out Form SC-221, Response to Request to Make
Payments.
File your Response and Proof of Service with the small
claims court clerk.
To file your Response:
Have your Response served on all other plaintiffs and
defendants in your case. (See Form SC-112A, Proof of
Service By Mail.)
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interest. If a partial payment is received, the money is
applied first to unpaid interest and then to unpaid principal.
Need help?
For free help, contact your county’s small claims advisor:
[local info here]
Or go to “County-Specific Court Information” at www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-smallclaims.htm
SC-220-INFO
Judicial Council of California, www.courts.ca.gov
Rev. July 1, 2013, Optional Form
Code of Civil Procedure, § 116.620, Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.2107
Payments in Small Claims Cases
(Small Claims)
