You Won in Court. Now Let’s Collect.
Winning a judgment is only half the battle. We guide self-represented creditors through the enforcement process — no attorney required — across all five New York City boroughs. A judgment sitting in a drawer doesn’t pay your bills. Let’s change that.
Why Creditors Trust Marshal Edward Guida
Serving NYC Since 1988
Nearly four decades of continuous enforcement experience across every NYC borough — passed down through two generations of the Guida family.
Mayoral Appointment, Badge Number 14
We are a state-appointed civil enforcement office, regulated by the NYC Department of Investigation and bonded at $100,000 — not a private collection agency.
All Five Boroughs, One Office
We enforce judgments in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island — no gaps, no referrals out, no “that’s outside our area.”
Staff With Decades of Experience
Our office manager and staff worked under Edward Guida Sr. for years. When you call, you reach people who know this process cold.
Pro Se Judgment Collection NYC
The Court Gave You a Judgment. We Help You Use It.
A lot of people don’t realize this until it’s too late: winning in small claims court doesn’t mean you get a check. The court enters your judgment, hands you a Notice of Judgment, and then steps back. What happens next is entirely up to you.
That’s where we come in. As a Mayoral-appointed NYC Marshal, our office has the legal authority to enforce your judgment through wage garnishment, bank levies, and property execution — and we work directly with pro se creditors who don’t have an attorney guiding them through the process. You don’t need a lawyer to work with us. You just need your judgment and a willingness to take the next step.
Marshal Enforcement Help for Self-Represented Creditors
What Changes When You Work With Us
A paper judgment sitting in a drawer doesn’t pay your bills — but a marshal with legal enforcement authority can change that.
- You’ll finally have a clear path forward instead of wondering what to do with a judgment no one’s paying.
- You can enforce your judgment without hiring an attorney — our office guides you through every step of the process.
- Your judgment stays valid for 20 years and accrues interest, so it’s almost never too late to start enforcement.
- We match the enforcement method — income execution, property execution, or bank levy — to what actually fits your debtor’s situation.
- Our fee structure means we earn 5% poundage only when we collect — so our interests are directly aligned with yours.
- You get access to an office with nearly 40 years of experience navigating the specific courts and procedures of all five NYC boroughs.
Income and Property Execution NYC
Two Main Tools — and Knowing Which One Fits
Most judgment enforcement in New York City comes down to two options: income execution and property execution. An income execution — commonly called wage garnishment — directs the debtor’s employer to withhold a portion of their wages until your judgment is satisfied. Under New York law, that amount is capped at 10% of gross wages per paycheck. It’s a steady, reliable method when the debtor has consistent employment.
Property execution is different. It authorizes us to seize cash or personal property belonging to the debtor — including business assets, inventory, or equipment — to satisfy the judgment. This is often the right move when the debtor runs a business or has identifiable physical assets.
One thing worth knowing: a NYC Marshal does not have the authority to place a lien on or sell real property. That’s a separate legal process. But between income execution and property execution, there’s a meaningful range of enforcement tools available — and we’ll help you figure out which approach makes the most sense based on what you know about your debtor.
Self-Represented Creditor Guidance All Boroughs
You Don’t Need a Lawyer to Start This Process
One of the most common misconceptions we hear is that you need an attorney to use a NYC Marshal. You don’t. Our office works directly with self-represented creditors — people who went to small claims court on their own, won, and now need help turning that judgment into actual payment.
What you do need is some basic information: your court judgment, and ideally some knowledge of where the debtor works or banks. If you don’t have that yet, don’t let it stop you from calling. We can walk you through what you have, explain what information would help us move forward, and talk you through tools like information subpoenas that can help locate debtor assets.
Successful enforcement is a collaborative process. You bring what you know about the debtor. We bring the legal authority and the experience to act on it. That’s the model our office has operated on since 1988 — and it works.
How to Hire a NYC Marshal Pro Se
A Simple Process, Explained Honestly
Call Our Office First
Tell us about your judgment — which court, which borough, what you know about the debtor. We’ll tell you exactly what we need to move forward.
We File the Execution
Once we have your documents and debtor information, we file the appropriate execution — income or property — with the relevant court and serve it properly.
Enforcement Begins
We act on the execution using our legal authority. When funds are collected, they go toward satisfying your judgment, minus the statutory poundage fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a lawyer to work with a NYC Marshal?
No — and this is one of the most important things to understand before you give up on collecting. NYC Marshals are specifically authorized to work directly with pro se creditors, meaning people who are representing themselves without an attorney. You won your case in court on your own. You can pursue enforcement on your own too. Our office has guided countless self-represented creditors through the process over the years, explaining each step in plain language so you’re never left guessing what happens next. If you have a valid judgment from NYC Civil Court or Small Claims Court, you have everything you need to get started.
I won my judgment months ago and gave up. Is it too late to collect?
Almost certainly not. Small claims court judgments in New York are valid and enforceable for 20 years from the date of entry — and they accrue interest the entire time. A lot of creditors walk away after a few unanswered calls to the debtor, assuming there’s nothing they can do. That’s not true. Whether your judgment is six months old or several years old, enforcement through a NYC Marshal is still an option. The only thing that changes over time is the interest that’s been accumulating on top of the original amount — which actually works in your favor. Call us and we’ll tell you exactly where things stand.
What’s the difference between a NYC Marshal and the NYC Sheriff for judgment collection?
Both can enforce civil judgments in New York City, but they operate differently. NYC Marshals like our office are public officers appointed by the Mayor, but we are not city employees. We earn income by performing enforcement tasks — which means our financial incentive is directly tied to collecting successfully on your behalf. The NYC Sheriff’s Office is a city agency. For a $35 fee, the Sheriff’s office can attempt to collect a small claims judgment, but the level of personalized attention and follow-through can vary significantly. Many creditors find that working directly with a marshal who has decades of borough-specific experience — and a direct stake in the outcome — produces better results.
What if I don’t know where the debtor works or banks in Queens, Brooklyn, or the Bronx?
This is one of the most common situations we see, and it doesn’t have to be a dead end. While having the debtor’s employer information or bank details makes enforcement faster and more straightforward, it’s not always a requirement before you pick up the phone. Legal tools like information subpoenas — governed by CPLR § 5224 — can compel the debtor or third parties to disclose asset information. Our office has experience navigating the court systems across all five boroughs, from Kings County Civil Court in Brooklyn to the Bronx Civil Court at 851 Grand Concourse to Queens Civil Court at 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, and we can help you understand what options exist for locating assets even when you’re starting with limited information.
What does it cost to use a NYC Marshal for judgment enforcement?
Marshal fees in New York City are set by statute — specifically NYCPLR §8011-8012 and the NYC Civil Court Act — so they’re not something we set arbitrarily or negotiate. In addition to those statutory fees, NYC Marshals are entitled to retain 5% of any judgment collected, known as poundage. This applies even if the debtor pays after being served with an execution but before we physically collect. The important thing to understand is that this fee structure aligns our interests with yours: we earn poundage when you collect. We don’t profit from filing paperwork that goes nowhere. If you want to understand the specific fees that would apply to your situation, the best thing to do is call our office and we’ll walk you through it.
Can a NYC Marshal enforce my judgment anywhere in the five boroughs, or only in one area?
Our office is authorized to enforce judgments across all five New York City boroughs — the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. This matters more than it might seem, because NYC’s civil court system is divided by borough, and each one has its own filing location, clerk’s office, and procedural requirements. If you won your case in Queens Civil Court but your debtor works in Manhattan, you need a marshal who can operate in both jurisdictions without missing a beat. Our office is based in Corona, Queens, and has been working across every borough’s court system since 1988 — so cross-borough enforcement is something we handle routinely, not something that slows us down.
Call us at (718) 779-2134 or email us at gu*****@**********14.com to see how we can help you.