An inquest is a hearing for the purpose of determining the amount of damages due on a claim. At an inquest, only the plaintiff is present.If you do not pay or dispute your ticket within approximately 100 days, it will go into judgment. This guide provides general information for New Yorkers who are facing debt collection lawsuits in the New York City civil courts. If the Defendant does now show up for the trial, the Plaintiff can ask for a default judgment against the Defendant. For example, a judge may vacate a default judgment against a party after re-opening the case. 3. Introduction. The National Employment Law Project (NELP) has. Defaults and default judgments are separate steps. The forms are technical so you can do them one step at a time. (a) Default and entry.