West Virginia Code § 38-16-402

Action on fraudulent judgment lien
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(a) A person against whom a purported judgment was rendered who has reason to believe
that a document previously filed or recorded or submitted for filing or for filing and
recording is fraudulent may complete and file with the clerk of the circuit court a motion,
verified by affidavit, that contains, at a minimum, the information in the following suggested
form: e
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF __________________COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
In Re: A Purported Judgment Lien Against u
(Name of Purported Debtor)
MOTION FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW OF A DOCUMENT a
PURPORTING TO CREATE A JUDGMENT LIEN
Now comes (name) and files this motion requesting a judicial determination of the status of a
court, judicial entity, or judicial officer purporting to have taken an action that is the basis of
a purported judgment lien filed in the office of the clerk of the county commission, and in
support of the motion would show the court as follows:
I. e
(Name), movant herein,L is the person against whom the purported judgment was rendered.
II.
On (date), in the exercise of official duties as Clerk of the county commission of (county
name) County, West Virginia, the county clerk received and filed or filed and recorded the
attaWched documentation containing (number) pages. The documentation purports to have
been rendered on the basis of a judgment, act, order, directive, or process of a court, judicial
entity, or judicial officer called "(name of purported court)" against one (name of purported
debtor).
III.
Movant alleges that the purported court referred to in the attached documentation is one
described in W.Va. Code, §38-16-108, as not legally created or established under the
Constitution or laws of this state or of the United States, and that the document therefore
not be accorded lien status.
IV.
Movant further attests that the assertions contained herein are true and correct.
PRAYER
Movant requests the court to review the attached documentation and enter an order
determining whether it should be accorded lien status, together with such other orders as
the court deems appropriate.
Respectfully submitted,
___________________________________
(Signature and typed name and address)
(b) The acknowledgment must be as follows:
THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA,
COUNTY OF ______________, To-wit:
I, ________________________, a notary public of ssaid county; (or other officer or person
authorized to take acknowledgments), do certify that ___________________, whose name (or
names) is (or are) signed to the attached motion, dated the _________ day of ______________,
______, has (or have) this day acknowledged the same before me, in my said
____________________.
Given under my hand this _______ day of _______________, ______.
Notary Public, State of West Virginia
Notary's printed name:
My commission expires:
(c) A motion filed under this section may be ruled on by a circuit judge in the county where
the subject documentation was filed. The court's finding may be made solely on a review of
the documentation attached to the movant's motion and without hearing any testimonial
evidence. The court's review may be made ex parte without delay or notice of any kind.
(d) The clerk of the circuit court may not charge a filing fee for filing a motion under this
section.
(e) After reviewing the documentation attached to a motion under this section, the circuit
judge shall enter appropriate findings of fact and conclusions of law, which must be filed and
indexed in the same class of records in which the subject documentation or instrument was
originally filed.
(f) The county clerk may not collect a filing fee for filing a district judge's findings of fact and
conclusions of law under this section.
(g) A suggested form order appropriate to comply with this section is as follows:
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF_________________ COUNTY,
WEST VIRGINIA
In Re: A Purported Judgment Lien Against
(Name of Purported Debtor)
JUDICIAL FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW REGARDING A
DOCUMENTATION PURPORTING TO CREATE A JUDGMENT LIEN
On the (number) day of (month), (year), in the above entitledt action, this Court reviewed a
motion verified by (name) and the documentation attached thereto. No testimony was taken
from any party, nor was there any notice of the Court's review, the Court having made the
determination that a decision could be made solely on review of the documentation under
the authority vested in the Court under W.Va. Code, §38-16-101, et seq.
The Court finds as follows (only an item checked and initialed is a valid court ruling):
[ ] The documentation attached to the motion herein refers to a legally constituted court,
judicial entity, or judicial officer created by or established under the Constitution or laws of
this state or of the United Statees. This judicial finding and conclusion of law does not
constitute a finding as to any underlying claims of the parties.
[ ] The documentation attached to the motion herein DOES NOT refer to a legally constituted
court, judicial entity, or judicial officer created by or established under the Constitution or
laws of this state or of the United States. There is no valid judgment lien created by the
documentation.
ThiWs court makes no finding as to any underlying claims of the parties involved and expressly
limits its findings of fact and conclusions of law to a ministerial act. The county clerk shall
file this finding of fact and conclusion of law in the same class of records as the subject
documentation was originally filed, and the court directs the county clerk to index it using
the same names that were used in indexing the subject document.
Signed this ________ day of _________________, ______.
___________________________________
Judge, circuit court of County, West Virginia

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