Defines the term "satisfaction" in relation to the satisfaction of judgments; allows satisfaction of judgments to be filed by affirmation rather than after notarization; increases the time during which attorneys may file satisfaction of judgment from ten to twenty years; clarifies that the twenty-day time limit applicable to filing satisfactions of judgment is measured in business days.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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10393
IN ASSEMBLY
March 3, 2026
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Introduced by M. of A. LUNSFORD -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to defin-
ing satisfaction of judgment and authorizing satisfactions to be filed
on affirmation
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 5020 of the civil practice law and rules, as
2 amended by chapter 1051 of the laws of 1969, subdivision (a) as amended
3 by chapter 148 of the laws of 1979, subdivision (b) as amended by chap-
4 ter 41 of the laws of 1977, subdivision (c) as amended by chapter 227 of
5 the laws of 2020, and subdivision (d) as added by chapter 601 of the
6 laws of 1974, is amended to read as follows:
7 § 5020. Satisfaction-piece. (a) As used in this section, the term
8 "satisfaction" shall mean (i) the receipt and clearance of funds in
9 satisfaction of a judgment by the judgment creditor or the attorney for
10 the judgment creditor, or (ii) receipt by the judgment creditor or the
11 attorney for the judgment creditor of notice from a sheriff that a judg-
12 ment is satisfied.
13 (b) Generally. When a person entitled to enforce a judgment receives
14 satisfaction or partial satisfaction of the judgment, he shall execute
15 and file with the proper clerk pursuant to subdivision (a) of section
16 5021, a satisfaction-piece or partial satisfaction-piece [acknowledged
17 in the form required to entitle a deed to be recorded] affirmed consist-
18 ently with section 2016, which shall set forth the book and page where
19 the judgment is docketed. A copy of the satisfaction-piece or partial
20 satisfaction-piece filed with the clerk shall be mailed to the judgment
21 debtor by the person entitled to enforce the judgment within ten days
22 after the date of filing.
23 [(b)] (c) Attorney of record. Within [ten] twenty years after the
24 entry of a judgment the attorney of record or the attorney named on the
25 docket for the judgment creditor may execute a satisfaction-piece or a
26 partial satisfaction-piece, but if his authority was revoked before it
27 was executed, the judgment may nevertheless be enforced against a person
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14386-01-6
A. 10393 2
1 who had actual notice of the revocation before a payment on the judgment
2 was made or a purchase of property bound by it was effected.
3 [(c)] (d) When a judgment for less than five thousand dollars is fully
4 satisfied, if the person required to execute and file with the proper
5 clerk pursuant to subdivisions [(a) and (d)] (b) and (e) of this section
6 fails or refuses to do so within twenty business days after receiving
7 full satisfaction, then the judgment creditor shall be subject to a
8 penalty of one hundred dollars recoverable by the judgment debtor pursu-
9 ant to section [seventy-two hundred two of this chapter] 7202 or article
10 eighteen of either the New York City civil court act, uniform district
11 court act or uniform city court act. When a judgment for five thousand
12 dollars or more is fully satisfied, if the person required to execute
13 and file with the proper clerk pursuant to subdivisions [(a) and (d)]
14 (b) and (e) of this section fails or refuses to do so within twenty
15 business days after receiving full satisfaction, then the judgment cred-
16 itor shall be subject to a penalty of five hundred dollars recoverable
17 by the judgment debtor pursuant to section [seventy-two hundred two of
18 this chapter] 7202 or article eighteen of either the New York city civil
19 court act, uniform district court act or uniform city court act;
20 provided, however, that such penalties shall not be recoverable when a
21 city with a population greater than one million persons is the judgment
22 creditor, unless such judgment creditor shall fail to execute and file a
23 satisfaction-piece with the proper clerk pursuant to subdivisions [(a)
24 and (d)] (b) and (e) of this section within twenty days after having
25 been served by the judgment debtor with a written demand therefor by
26 certified mail, return receipt requested.
27 [(d)] (e) Where a transcript of the docket of a judgment has been
28 docketed in any other county of the state pursuant to subdivision (a) of
29 section 5018, the person required to execute and file with the proper
30 clerk pursuant to subdivision [(a) hereof] (b) of this section shall,
31 upon receiving full satisfaction, file a certificate of the clerk of the
32 county in which the judgment was entered, in accordance with subdivision
33 (c) of section 5021, with the clerks of all other counties in which such
34 judgment has been docketed.
35 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
36 have become a law.
