Judgment lien
A lien on a debtor's real estate that a creditor gets by recording a court money judgment with the county; it must be paid off before a sale.
Definition
A judgment lien is a lien on real property that a creditor gets after winning a money judgment in court. The creditor records the judgment, or a summary of it, with the county, and the lien attaches to real estate the debtor owns there. In California, for example, the creditor records an abstract of judgment with the county recorder, and the lien covers property the debtor owns in that county now or acquires later.
A judgment lien usually does not force a sale on its own, though some states let the creditor ask the sheriff to levy on the property. Mostly it waits: when the owner sells or refinances, the lien must be paid or negotiated off before title can transfer. Recorded judgments are worth checking during title work, and they tell you the owner may be under pressure from a lawsuit, credit card debt or medical bills. Judgment liens expire after a set period unless renewed, and the period varies by state.
Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
Read the guide
Ownership and court records · 13 min read
Court Records for Real Estate Investors: Cases That Point to Sellers
Court records for real estate investors: which civil cases signal a sale, where to search state, county and federal dockets, and how to read them.
Playbooks · 12 min read
How to Find Motivated Sellers: The Public Records That Signal a Sale
How to find motivated sellers in court, recorder, tax and code records, stack signals on one property, reach owners legally and book the appointment.
More terms
Book a demo
Name, email, phone, your company, what you are, your state, and how many appointments you want each month.