Someone or a company has you served with papers which request you to appear in court to respond to the judgement. If you don't show up, the judgement will be automatically granted. If you prove in court that you do not owe the amt of the judgement, it will be dismissed. If the judge orders you to pay the judgement and you still do not, they may garnish your wages, put liens on your property, and even hold income tax returns. If you have not satisfied the judgement, it can be renewed every seven years to keep it current. Judgements also show up on your credit report.