If the court enters a judgment against the defendant, or if the defendant has filed a counterclaim and is granted judgment against the plaintiff, it is the duty of the losing party to pay without delay. After payment is received the court must be notified in writing that the judgment has been satisfied (PDF).

A money judgment awarded to the plaintiff or defendant does not necessarily mean the money will be paid. The small claims court does not collect the judgment for the plaintiff or defendant. The party awarded judgment may proceed with a method of collection such as garnishment of wages or bank accounts, or an execution may be entered on personal property of the judgment debtor. The plaintiff may wish to consult an attorney or collection agency. The party awarded judgment may request the amount of the judgment be increased by the amount of the costs incurred in collecting the judgment

Superior Court Judgment

A judgment entered in Small Claims Court is certified as a District Court civil judgment and immediately enforceable. You may file the judgment in Superior Court for entry in the Superior Courts’ lien dockets. If you have questions about Superior Court Proceedings, please call the County Clerk’s office at (425) 388-3466. The Court does not collect a judgment for you. You may wish to consult your attorney or a collection agency to proceed with a method of collections. 

No appeal is allowed from a judgment where the amount claimed was less than $250. No appeal is permitted by the plaintiff where the amount claimed was less than $1,000. If an appeal is taken to Superior Court, the appealing party is required to follow the procedures set out in Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 12.36. An appeal must be filed within 30 days of entry of judgment. Detailed instructions for filing a small claims appeal are available from the District Court.