If a credit card company won a civil lawsuit against me in MI, I don't have any assets or a job right now. ?

where would the money come from. How long do the judgment hold to collect?

They will garnish any wages you get.
They can attach any property you ever own.
They will trash your credit and prevent you from getting decent jobs.
They will levee your bank accounts and take money from it whenever they want.
They will take your tax refunds.
They will take your lottery winnings.

Until every dime is paid. Sorry for the bad news.

The judgment doesn't go away. If they know what bank that you use and you put any money in there they can electronically remove your cash. This happened to a girlfriend of mine. She owed Chase 5 grand and they took her to court and got judgment. A few months later she deposited 4 grand in her checking and days later she received a letter from the bank explaining why her money was removed. They knew what bank she was using though because when she made payments to them in the past she wrote checks from that bank. They can also put liens against your property or vehicles. You can never safely put your money in a bank until you settle this debt.

*Sigh*

So many bad answers. So little time.

Wizjp gave the only decent answer. Depending on your state, judgements are usually good for 10 years and usually have the option to renew, and Michigan follows this norm. Michigan also follows Federal law for garnishment exemptions.

If you don't have any assets or a job, there judgement is pretty much worthless, at least for the time being.

Leavin#1's answer was horrible and just flat out wrong as well.

I don't know what these people above are talking about - here's how it works: Credit card company just got judgement and that judgement does not go away unless the credit card company fails to renew it. Now - judgement is pending against you - so at some point the credit card company is either going to pursue your wages, any asssets you obtain, until the judgement is paid. Judgements are also viewed by potential lenders and car dealers - so if you plan on ever owning a home or buying a car - Good luck with that..

You will have 7 years until the company cannot persue you any longer. That said it doesn't matter because the company holding the debt will sell it on the open market to another company at which time the 7 years starts over. This option now execised by all creditors in America plus the new bankruptsy guidelines means that you will never get out from under it. Your best bet is to negotiate, if you can find out what the going rate for the debt is than you can offer slightly more to satisfy the debt.

It sucks, but it follows you. They can find out what bank you use if you have any accounts and garnish money out of your accounts. They can also garnish your pay when you get a job. They can just look up your SS# and find out where you work and if you have bank accounts. They will do this as long as it takes to get thier money. You'd have been better off calling and working something out before it got to this point.

it hold till you pay, and if you start working and dont pay them some kind of money they can file papers with the state and federal government and try to take any taxes you might have coming back. before you even get them

They will have to wait for you to get money until then they will play in the corner bugging you.

Leavin#1 is correct.

Usually 10-20 years with an option to renew.

Til you pay it.

Then they can not get any money. They can't take what you don't have.