If you have a medical judgment, can you still negotiate the amount with the Dr.'s office?

[danny4l]

I was sued in 2010 for a $900 medical bill.  I was still recovering from my surgery so I did not go to court and I now have a judgment against me.

I am in a position now to take care of this debt. 

How do I proceed?  Can I still negotiate that debt for maybe half the amount with the doctors office or is the matter now with the law firm?  If I have to pay the $900 to get it removed, then I will do it but if I can negotiate for a better amount, then I would like to do that.

I contacted the law firm and they told me that they will remove the judgment or "file a motion to vacate" if I pay them in full. 

Please tell what is the best way to deal with this matter.

Thanks

[RobertEG]

You can certainly attempt to negotiate any settlement with them.  However, with a judgment, they have the ruling of the court that the debt is valid and due, so it might lessen their incentive to accept less than the court assessed.  They can use the judgment to request action to attach assets, so they are down the road towards being able to attempt to recover in its entirety.

Who was the judgment credtior, and who now owns the debt?

[danny4l]

The debt is from a doctor who performed a procedure while I was hospitalized.  The debt went to collections and then to a lawyer.

[RobertEG]

Does the law firm own the debt, or were they just representing the debt collector?  Who is identified as the judgment creditor by the court?

Has the judgment credtior sold the debt?

You need to identify who owns the debt, as they are the ones who have authority to accept its satisfaction.

[danny4l]

On the credit report and the docket it lists the doctors office.