Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Pennsylvania

How can I find out if a judgment has been paid in PA?

Here's why

1995-96 I filed suit against a restaurant owner. I was working at his restaurant at the time.

One night after work, I stayed at the bar to relax after work. I was sitting next to the owner. The owner was drunk and we began to argue about something else work related. Then he started to get louder and louder.

I decided to quit and began to walk out the door. As I leave, I feel the door handle (?) hit my back. I turn around to see the owner following me and an off duty police officer (a friend of mine) standing between us.

The officer was holding back the owner as I walked away. Later that night, I met up with the officer and this officer told me that the "door did not hit you, the owner kicked you".

It didn't seem like much to me, but I did have a small black and blue next to my spine. I went to see an attorney that week.

He told me, "Regardless of how your back feels now, you do not want to find out years from now that your back is damaged from this incident".

He said I should see a doctor immediately and gave me an address of someone he works with. He told me to go there every two weeks or so...which I did. The doctor gave me a prescription (which I still have today as documentation).

After my deposition, the defendant soon afterwards offered $1000, which I said was fine as an "apology" for the "stress", "harassment", "public humiliation" etc...my attorney said, "no way...I did too much work and they will settle for more".

But...later, when it was time for the doctor's deposition, the doctor stated that he never met me nor had I ever gone to his office. I told my attorney that I had the doctor's receipts, but my attorney said that it didn't matter and that he would drop the case. I don't know if today, that my attorney believes I actually have documentation (the doctor was old and I think he forgot about the prescription he wrote for me before he perjured himself).

My attorney then asked me to sign a "mutual release" of some sort so that we would not further sue them, nor they sue me. I don't know what happened between my attorney and his doctor friend, but I signed it and wanted no further business with this attorney.

Fast forward to 2003. As I'm checking my credit report when I see a judgment for $25,000 from civil court. I immediately called my attorney and he was astounded that there was a judgment on my credit as he was still in proceedings over the matter. I couldn't believe my ears. I told him about the "mutual release" and he said, that's why they will lose, so don't worry "they have no case". He (and his firm) were being sued for "abuse of process".

So, for three years I was getting sued and never knew anything about it. I had since moved and my attorney told me that they were sending paperwork to an old address where my father had lived (with the same name, but long deceased). This was a fraud, as my attorney heard that I had moved at my deposition and was told of my new address.

Peters told me he would take care of it and a few months later I saw that the judgment was removed from my credit report. I didn't think further action was necessary.

Now, two months ago, I receive a "writ of execution" stating that my bank account may be seized and that my household belongings may be sold at Sheriff sale. Obviously, the case was still proceeding unbeknownst to me.

It turns out that my attorney has been suspended for three years from practicing and that his office has had at least six malpractice complaints filed in the past 7-8 years.

My attorney and his law firm and I now have a judgment of $40,000 against us and I have no idea if they paid anything at all. How do I find out and can this judgment be reopened.?

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