A creditor's claim of debt on a report can be detrimental to your credit history and score. This will make obtaining loans, financing and other services difficult for up to seven years. There are a few ways you can get a judgment removed from your credit report.

Obtain Records

Get a free copy of your credit report from Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. You can do this once a year at no expense, or anytime you have been denied credit. Be sure that everything listed is valid, and make notes of any discrepancies. Remember that errors can be made, but valid judgments cannot be disputed. Any judgments you wish to contest should have proper documentation. That means you should organize your bank records, credit card receipts, canceled checks and letters that prove you made payments on time.

Report Inaccuracies

If you have a debt judgment on your report that is inaccurate, you must dispute it immediately to the credit bureaus. Fill out a dispute form with every bureau that has a false debt judgment. This can be done by sending a letter to the bureau or by filing a dispute online. The dispute must be done in writing, so you may have to call the individual bureaus to find out where exactly to send your letter and/or dispute form. Patience is a virtue; it normally takes 30 to 45 days for a dispute investigation. The credit bureau must prove the information on your report to be correct; otherwise, it must be removed. The bureaus will likely send you a letter reporting the outcome of the investigation. If it is not to your satisfaction, you may have to hire an attorney to remove a spurious claim of debt.

Negotiate a Settlement

If a creditor has legitimately reported you to a collections agency, it may be possible to settle your debt with the creditor directly. Call the creditor and negotiate a settlement with your account. You may be able to settle for a fraction of what you owe or you may be able to discuss a payment arrangement. Every bank and creditor is different, so there is no definite way to determine how they will work with you. Once you come to an agreement on a settlement and payments, get the terms in writing. This is important for two reasons: You will have an agreement in writing if the creditor decides to pursue legal action, and a written agreement will have to be provided to credit bureaus as proof that you are attempting to pay off your debts. Once the bureaus see proof that you are not a collections case, they will remove the judgment or report it as settled.

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Vacating a Judgment

How to Remove a Judgment from Your Credit Report