canada
Why might Eric Abramovitz not be able to collect his damages from Jennifer Lee?
<p>Eric Abramovitz is a talented clarinetist whose girlfriend, Jennifer Lee, accessed his email account to decline a once-in-a-lifetime scholarship and opportunity to study under Yehuda Gilad, a world-renowned clarinet instructor. <a href="https://slate.com/technology/2018/06/clarinet-player-girlfriend-fake-email-account-shared-passwords-bizarre-story.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">According to Slate</a>, Abramovitz was awarded $350,000 CAD in damages from Lee by an Ontario court and might not be able to collect.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Lee never showed up to the trial or attempted to defend herself, and Abramovitz says he is unaware of her whereabouts, so he may be unable to collect the damages.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>My question is: why is <em>his</em> inability to locate Lee relevant? Do the courts in Canada not help find the people who have been ordered to pay damages? What are Abramovitz's options in this case?</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>why is his inability to locate Lee relevant?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>When you win a lawsuit, you get a piece of paper authorizing you to collect money from the defendant called a "judgment", but you can only collect money from someone if you can find income or assets that belong to them.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Do the courts in Canada not help find the people who have been ordered
  to pay damages?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>They do not. Indeed, there are almost no countries where they would.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>What are Abramovitz's options in this case?</p>
</blockquote>

<ol>
<li><p>Wait for a few years until she has more assets and/or income from which he could collect.</p></li>
<li><p>Hire a skip trace firm to locate her.</p></li>
<li><p>Require her to provide sworn testimony regarding the location of her assets and her sources of income, if he has been unable to determine this on his own.</p></li>
<li><p>Locate real property that she owns (either with public records or investigation or from her sworn compelled statement) and then put a lien on a real property she owns and then foreclose on that lien. The buyer at a foreclosure sale would have to assume any higher priority debts in the property (like a first mortgage) and some of the equity might have to be returned to her as a "homestead exemption".</p></li>
<li><p>Garnish her wages and bank accounts and investment accounts. Garnishments of wages are <a href="https://legalbeagle.com/6141099-wage-garnishment-rules-canada.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">only for a portion of wages</a>, not all of them.</p></li>
<li><p>Attach and have sold her tangible personal property of significant value (including a motor vehicle) that is not exempt from creditors.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Of course, it would cost money to attempt any of these steps that may or may not be recovered.</p>
