If my kid rammed his bike into the side of someone else's car, and I have no Homeowners insurance or renters insurance, and i don't pay?

If the judge rules against you, you don't get to refuse the judgement!

What will happen at that point is that the courts will file the judgement on your credit report. Judgements stay on your credit report for 10 years and they are renewable. Judgements also accrue interest until they are paid in full.

So, if you ever want to purchase a house in the future, that judgement will have to be paid off before you can close. And, other creditors (such as auto insurance companies and credit card companies) look at your credit report when they decide how much interest you are going to pay OR if they will even accept you as a customer. Having poor credit can possibly affect future employment as well.

ETA: After reading your responses to other answerers, I have come to the conclusion that you are nothing more than a mere troll.

You are going to spend the rest of your life living on the edge of the economy. You would have a hard time getting any credit to buy a car for instance. Would you really file bankruptcy over such a small item?

You would file BK over a few scratches or a bump on a car?
Why? just the filing of the BK will cost you more than the repair. And that doesn't even take into consideration all the other expenses a BK / poor credit causes.

Filing for bankruptcy doesn't protect you from everything. The court can still take any assets that aren't protected under state law (including checking/savings accounts, consumer goods like TVs and stereos, extra cars you own, etc.) and pay your debts off. If you move stuff around or hide it (which they can see by looking at bank statements) prior to filing, that is fraud and you will be penalized for it. Filing for bankruptcy will also screw up your living situation (mortgage or rent), and any other debts you currently owe. It'll also make it impossible to borrow money for the next 5-10 years.

And that's assuming you actually qualify for relief.

You can be taken to court, have to pay for the damage AND the court fees.

It's stupid to file for bankruptcy over this. But then again, given what you've written it's pretty clear you're not all that high on the IQ scale anyway.

They will sue and win, then the judgment will lead to garnishment and then the bankruptcy, like you said.

However, judging by your post here, I have a feeling your neighbors may not be the court type either...again, solely based on your post and comments here. As such, I wouldn't be surprised to come out and find a brick through my window...

Wonderful example for your child...I hope you enjoy visiting them in prison, or vice versa.

Without commenting on your obvious lack of morality. let's look at the options and outcomes. if you have no regard for your credit rating, then you don't pay and you get sued, lose and have a judgment show up on your credit report. If you do not pay the judgment, as you surmise, your neighbor can ask for a garnishment, which your employer has to honor - at which time you file bankruptcy. A bankruptcy further harms your credit standing, so you can pretty much relegate yourself to paying cash for everything (if your job requires you to be bonded and/or handle money, the judgment can be used to terminate your employment as can the bankruptcy).

When you get to bankruptcy court, one of three things can happen - the judge can toss the case, so say hello to garnishment. Option 2, the judge only allows for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy - this means you pay back as much of the judgment as you can over 5 years (as determined by a trustee who also oversees all your spending). Option 3 and the hardest to obtain is a Chapter 7 bankruptcy which wipes out your debt. Obviously all your creditors can chime in about the bankruptcy filing (you cannot file bankruptcy to cover one debt to the exclusion of other debts). And of course. you will have to pay your bankruptcy attorney (do it yourself bankruptcies fail at a high rate).

So, if you don't mind a whole bunch of strangers going through your finances with a fine-tooth comb, have at it.

Won't work unless the scratches total the car, and it was a very expensive car, and you have absolutely no assets or income and many other outstanding debts. THEN you might qualify for bankruptcy, where your debts exceed your assets. If you have the ability to pay it, you will never be granted a bankruptcy and will just be out more money for the attorney who failed to advise you that you would not be able to file.

I sure hope the other adults in your child's life are better examples and people he/she can be proud of.

They can attach your wages and put a lien against any assets you DO own. It's going to cost you WAY more in legal fees to file bankruptcy - if the judge even lets you - than it would to just pay for the repairs.

Refusal to pay money when ordered to do so by a court results in prison. Filing bankruptcy isn't an option in this case.
Refusal to make good damage done by your kid could result in direct action by the vehicle owner.