Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in California

Re: yes/no

If an "escrow service" called you and told you the judgment debtor died, the judgment debtor's "estate" is probably trying to sell real property owned by the debtor. If you have a valid abstract of judgment recorded (and you probably do because that is where the "escrow service" would have found out about you), you need to make demand on the escrow service to be paid. You don't need a collection agency to do this.

However, if you have already hired a collection agency you may be breaching your agreement with them by pursuing payment on your own. Either take all of your documents to an attorney to look at and advise you, or tell the collection agency about the telephone call from the "escrow service."