How do I get this civil judgement off of my credit?

You have two options: First, dispute the judgment as not yours. This means you are challenging the validity of the judgment. A dispute is done by filing a dispute letter directly with the credit bureaus (you can search online for their sites). If the civil judgment is not verified, then it will be removed by the credit bureaus. Your second option (if the first option was unsuccessful) is to pay the judgment. This will not remove the negative mark from your credit history, but will report as a ‘satisfied judgment’. Some lenders are more inclined to overlook this mark if it shows ‘paid’ and with some explanation. You now have a $2000 claim against the ex if court documents show he lied or was responsible for paying this amount. This should help you with your house situation. Thanks. Richard Cruz, Esq..