Section 735 ILCS 5/12-183 - Release of judgment(a) Every judgment creditor, his or her assignee of record or other legal representative having received full satisfaction or payment of all such sums of money as are really due to him or her from the judgment debtor on any judgment rendered in a court shall, at the request of the judgment debtor or his or her legal representative, execute and deliver to the judgment debtor or his or her legal representative an instrument in writing releasing such judgment.(b) If the judgment creditor, his or her assigns of record or other legal representative to whom tender has been made of all sums of money due him or her from the judgment debtor including interest, on any judgment entered by a court, wilfully fails or refuses, at the request of the judgment debtor or his or her legal representative to execute and deliver to the judgment debtor or his or her legal representative an instrument in writing releasing such judgment, the judgment debtor may petition the court in which such judgment is of record, making tender therewith to the court of all sums due in principal and interest on such judgment, for the use of the judgment creditor, his or her executors, administrators or assigns, whereupon the court shall enter an order satisfying the judgment and releasing all liens based on such judgment.(c) For the recording of assignment of any judgment the clerk of the court in which such judgment is of record is allowed a fee of $2.(d) A satisfaction of a judgment may be delivered to the judgment debtor, his or her attorney or to the clerk of the court in which such judgment is of record.(e) The clerk shall not be allowed any fee for recording the satisfaction of judgment. The clerk of the court shall make appropriate notation on the judgment docket of the book and page where any release or assignment of any judgment is recorded.(f) No judgment shall be released of record except by an instrument in writing recorded in the court in which such judgment is of record. However, nothing contained in this Section affects in any manner the validity of any release of judgment made, prior to January 1, 1952, in judgment and execution dockets by the judgment creditor, his or her attorney, assignee or other legal representative.(g) The writ of audita querela is abolished and all relief heretofore obtainable and grounds for such relief heretofore available, whether by the writ of audita querela or otherwise, shall be available in every case by petition hereunder, regardless of the nature of the order or judgment from which relief is sought or of the proceeding in which it was entered. There shall be no distinction between actions and other proceedings, statutory or otherwise, as to availability of relief, grounds for relief or relief obtainable. The petition shall be filed in the same proceeding in which the order or judgment was entered and shall be supported by affidavit or other appropriate showing as to matters not of record. All parties to the petition shall be notified as provided by rule.(h) Upon the filing of a release or satisfaction in full satisfaction of judgment, signed by the party in whose favor the judgment was entered or his or her attorney, the court may vacate the judgment, and dismiss the action.(i) Any judgment arising out of an order for support shall not be a judgment to the extent of payments made as evidenced by the records of the Clerk of the Circuit Court or State agency receiving payments pursuant to the order. In the event payments made pursuant to that order are not paid to the Clerk of the Circuit Court or a State agency, then any judgment arising out of each order for support may be released in the following manner: (1) A Notice of Filing and an affidavit stating that all installments of child support required to be paid pursuant to the order under which the judgment or judgments were entered have been paid shall be filed with the office of the court or agency entering said order for support, together with proof of service of such notice and affidavit upon the recipient of such payments.(2) Service of such affidavit shall be by any means authorized under Sections 2-203 and 2-208 of the Code of Civil Procedure or under Supreme Court Rules 11 or 105(b).(3) The Notice of Filing shall set forth the name and address of the judgment debtor and the judgment creditor, the court file number of the order giving rise to the judgment and, in capital letters, the following statement: YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT ON (insert date) THE ATTACHED AFFIDAVIT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF.... COUNTY, ILLINOIS, WHOSE ADDRESS IS........ , ILLINOIS. IF, WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE, YOU FAIL TO FILE AN AFFIDAVIT OBJECTING TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE STATED JUDGMENT OR JUDGMENTS IN THE ABOVE OFFICE, THE SAID JUDGMENTS WILL BE DEEMED TO BE SATISFIED AND NOT ENFORCEABLE. THE SATISFACTION WILL NOT PREVENT YOU FROM ENFORCING THE ORDER FOR SUPPORT THROUGH THE COURT.
(4) If no affidavit objecting to the satisfaction of the judgment or judgments is filed within 28 days of the Notice described in paragraph (3) of this subsection (i), such judgment or judgments shall be deemed to be satisfied and not enforceable.Amended by P.A. 099-0744,§ 5, eff. 8/5/2016. P.A. 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.