Our Work

Low-income New Yorkers too often fail to collect the money that courts and government agencies determine they are owed by their employers, landlords and others. The Creditor Justice Project helps ensure that when people vindicate their rights they don’t just end up with a paper judgment – they should get the money they deserve.

The Creditor Justice Project’s current focus is supporting low-wage workers who have been victimized by wage theft – i.e., workers who have not been paid their lawfully earned wages and tips. Wage theft costs New Yorkers an estimated $1-3 billion per year in wages earned but not received. When employers are confronted by their employees in court or at the New York State Department of Labor, they often hide and fraudulently transfer assets rather than pay what they owe. These abuses were documented in the groundbreaking report Empty Judgments, a report by the Urban Justice Center, the Legal Aid Society of New York, and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice.

How we Achieve These Goals

The Creditor Justice Project’s work consists of five program areas:

1. Supporting NYC’s Legal Service Providers: CJP supports NYC-based Legal Services Providers representing clients who seek monetary judgments in labor, consumer, housing, and other economic justice cases. CJP provides technical assistance on legal and investigative strategies.
2. Litigating Cases to Preserve Debtor Assets: CJP litigates cases to preserve the assets of potential judgment debtors, including fraudulent transfer cases, motions for attachment and claims under the NY Business Corporation Law and NY Limited Liability Company Law.
3. Judgment Enforcement. CJP investigates judgment debtors’ assets and helps judgment creditors enforce judgments.
4. Overcoming Judgment Debtors’ Bankruptcy. CJP helps creditors through the bankruptcy process, which judgment debtors often use to avoid paying their creditors (e.g., former employees), even when they are not truly bankrupt.
5. Advocacy. CJP advocates to local and state legislative bodies for policies that will help low-income New Yorkers will collect what they are owed.