The Collection Process, Part 5: The Money Judgement Enforcement Act

BC’s collection process is set for a major shake-up. Learn how the new Money Judgment Enforcement Act will change judgment enforcement in BC, and what it means for creditors once it comes into force.

In this final post of this series, we talk about the future of collection efforts in BC.

As you may have gathered from the previous posts, collection in BC can be a time consuming, and uncertain, process.

In 2023, the BC Legislature created the Money Judgment Enforcement Act, which is meant to streamline this process.

This act is an attempt to modernize and streamline the collection process. It creates a registry which requires creditors to register their judgments before commencing collection and enforcement. This allows people to search the registry to see the status of a judgment debtor’s other debts.

Perhaps the most important aspect of this new act, however, is that it creates “civil enforcement officers” – who are currently called bailiffs – much more power with respect to enforcement. They can act on behalf of a judgment creditor in more ways, and seize assets more directly. This will also change how enforcement against real property occurs – with these officers being entitled to seize real property, as well as personal property.

The Money Judgment Enforcement Act was set to come into force in 2025, but has not yet arrived. When it does come into force it will hopefully streamline and simplify collection processes.

In the meantime, our collection team can help. Whether you’re pursuing a judgment debt today under the current framework, or want to understand how the Money Judgment Enforcement Act will affect your enforcement strategy once it comes into force, our lawyers can guide you through the process and help you recover what you’re owed. Contact Watson Goepel to discuss your collection matter.