What To Do When A Debtor Won’t Pay A Judgment

In Vietnam, the court that issues a judgment does not enforce it. Once the judgment takes legal effect, it is for the creditor to ask the civil judgment enforcement system to act. Many creditors first wait to see whether the debtor will pay of its own accord, and that delay gives an unwilling debtor time to move its assets.

When a debtor won’t pay a judgment in Vietnam, the creditor should file an enforcement request with the civil judgment enforcement office within five years of the judgment taking effect. Once the debtor’s 10-day period to comply voluntarily has passed, the enforcement officer can freeze its bank accounts, block transfers of its property, deduct money from its accounts and wages, and seize and auction its assets. An individual debtor can also be barred from leaving Vietnam, and a debtor that deliberately refuses to comply despite those measures can face criminal liability.