Judgments – Foreign Judgments – Georgia

§9-12-130.

This article may be cited as the “Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Law.”

§9-12-131.

As used in this article, the term “foreign judgment” means judgment, decree, or order of a court of the United States or of any other court that is entitled to full faith and credit in this state.

§9-12-132.

A copy of any foreign judgment authenticated in accordance with an act of Congress or statutes of this state may be filed in the office of the clerk of any court of competent jurisdiction of this state. The clerk shall treat the foreign judgment in the same manner as a judgment of the court in which the foreign judgment is filed. A filed foreign judgment has the same effect and is subject to the same procedures, defenses, and proceedings for reopening, vacating, staying, enforcing, or satisfying as a judgment of the court in which it is filed and may be enforced or satisfied in like manner.

§9-12-133.

(a) At the time a foreign judgment is filed, the judgment creditor or the judgment creditor’s attorney shall make and file with the clerk of the court an affidavit showing the name and last known post office address of the judgment debtor and the judgment creditor.
(b) The clerk shall promptly mail notice of the filing of the foreign judgment to the judgment debtor at the address given and shall note the mailing in the docket. The notice must include the name and post office address of the judgment creditor and, if the judgment creditor has an attorney in this state, the attorney’s name and address. The judgment creditor may mail a notice of the filing of the judgment to the judgment debtor and may file proof of mailing with the clerk. Lack of mailing notice of filing by the clerk does not affect the enforcement proceedings if proof of mailing by the judgment creditor has been filed.

§9-12-134.

(a) If the judgment debtor shows the court that an appeal from the foreign judgment is pending or will be taken or that a stay of execution has been granted and proves that the judgment debtor has furnished the security for the satisfaction of the judgment required by the state in which it was rendered, the court shall stay enforcement of the foreign judgment until the appeal is concluded, the time for appeal expires, or the stay of execution expires or is vacated.
(b) If the judgment debtor shows the court any ground on which enforcement of a judgment of the court of this state would be stayed, including the ground that an appeal from the foreign judgment is pending or will be taken or that the time for taking such an appeal has not yet expired, the court shall stay enforcement of the foreign judgment for an appropriate period until all available appeals are concluded or the time for taking all appeals has expired and require the same security for satisfaction of the judgment that is required in this state, subject to the provisions of subsections (e) through (f) of Code Section 5-6-46.

§9-12-135.

A person filing a foreign judgment shall pay to the clerk of court the same sums as in civil cases in superior court as provided in Code Section 15-6-77. Fees for other enforcement proceedings shall be as otherwise provided by law.

§9-12-136.

The judgment creditor retains the right to bring an action to enforce a judgment instead of proceeding under this article.

§9-12-137.

This article shall be interpreted and construed to achieve its general purposes to make the law of those states which enact it uniform.

§9-12-138.

This article shall apply to foreign judgments of other states only if those states have adopted the “Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act” in substantially the same form as this article.