Can I borrow with a CCJ against my company?

How lenders view a company CCJ

A county court judgment signals that a creditor pursued a debt through the courts rather than receiving voluntary settlement. Mainstream lenders typically decline automatically when a CCJ is present. Specialist commercial lenders examine the detail: the value of the judgment, when it was entered, whether it has been satisfied, and what the underlying dispute was.

A CCJ entered three years ago for a disputed invoice, now fully satisfied, is treated materially differently from an unsatisfied judgment entered six months ago as part of a broader financial deterioration.

Satisfied versus unsatisfied CCJs

Satisfying a CCJ within one month of judgment means it is removed from the register entirely. Satisfaction after that point leaves the entry on the register for the full six years but marks it as satisfied. Unsatisfied CCJs are the most difficult to work around and may indicate ongoing financial difficulty that lenders will probe carefully.

If you have an unsatisfied CCJ, settling it before applying for finance — where that is financially possible — strengthens your position materially.

What you can do to improve your application

• Obtain a copy of your company's credit report and verify all entries are accurate.
• Prepare a factual written explanation of the circumstances that led to the CCJ.
• Evidence current financial stability: up-to-date management accounts, recent bank statements, current debtor book.
• Consider whether security or a personal guarantee could offset the perceived risk — see director personal credit and guarantees.

Realistic borrowing expectations

Finance remains possible for companies with CCJs, but the range of willing lenders is narrower and terms will typically reflect the additional risk. Secured lending is more accessible than unsecured. Invoice finance against a live debtor book is sometimes accessible even with a CCJ if the invoices themselves represent good-quality receivables. All indicative terms discussed with lenders are not offers and depend on individual circumstances.