I was Guarantor on an apartment lease and I got stuck with $650 of back rent and cleaning fees. The property owner wants to take the tenant and I to court. My question is how big of an affect would a small claims judgement have on my credit report if I were to lose and pay the judgement immediately? Normally I would pay the amount but I might be able to prove that I took my name off the lease in time, thus ridding myself of the costs that were incurred after the lease expired. I have already had to pay $800 to settle another claim (before it went to court) because the tenant racked up another bill during the lease.
I would appreciate any help someone could provide for me. It's very unfortunate that the honest and helpful person has to suffer because of someone's selfishness.
Thanks
