Rule 803.Satisfaction of Judgment

Rule 803 is short and it runs against the party who won.

The duty

On full payment, the party in whose favor the judgment was rendered must do two things: file a satisfaction of judgment in the court where the judgment was entered, and record it in every county where the judgment or an abstract of it is recorded.

Both. Filing alone leaves the recorded abstract standing as a lien on real property in each county where it was recorded, which is what will surface on a title search when the paying party tries to refinance or sell.

Signature

A satisfaction must be signed by the party in whose favor the judgment was entered or that party's attorney.

Why it matters in family cases

Family law judgments are unusually likely to be recorded and unusually long-lived. A Rule 814 money judgment for unreimbursed medical expenses, a property equalization payment, a judgment for support arrears — each may be abstracted and recorded across counties. And Rule 805(b)(5) makes a satisfied, released or discharged judgment a ground for relief, so the satisfaction is also the record that forecloses further enforcement.

Rule 810 governs execution while the judgment is unpaid, and Rule 901(a)(3)(A)(vi) adds court-approved costs and fees to the amount that must be paid before the judgment is satisfied in full.