A Massachusetts small claims judgment is not money. Trustee process attaches funds at a bank; an execution authorizes a sheriff or constable to seize tangible personal property. Both mechanisms have exemption rules and short procedural windows.
After a Massachusetts small claims judgment, wage garnishment runs through “trustee process” under M.G.L. c. 246. State exemptions are stricter than the federal floor, and a 10-day appeal period must expire before the writ can issue.
A Massachusetts small claims win produces a judgment, not the money. Collection runs through executions, supplementary process, trustee process on wages and bank accounts, real-estate liens, and a 20-year enforcement window under M.G.L. c. 260, § 20.