Am I correct in that or do I need to go to court and get a judgement first?

Gerry are you saying you actually brought legal action and was awarded a money judgement ?? 

Also find out how to file a judgement for outstanding rent-you'll likely never see the money, but if you can get it attached to his credit score, that would be good.

If he owes you more than was awarded in the judgement, have a buddy serve him with a small claim summons on his way out. 

I have evicted a tenant got a judgement from the court.

They only have a simple promissory note that they likely now have to file a lawsuit to win a judgement, with again no promise of repayment. 

If you have a lot of equity that is an asset that can be taken to pay a judgement.

If it is the tenant, then you may not need to pay the bill as it wasn't in your name.After that, you can try small claims court, but even if you get a judgement, you are unlikely to ever see the money. 

It's precisely the lottery size judgements that either exceed you insurance or are dodged by your carrier that make it a good plan to have another layer of protection  of a limited liability entity.

So, if they want to go to court, they may well be coming out of pocket for not only the court costs but a judgement in YOUR favor.