Definition of "Judgment lien"

Wondering what a Judgment Lien is?

Well, a Lien can be consensual or non-consensual, right? Meaning it can be forced or agreed upon by way of a bilateral contract. When we say “forced” is by way of a lawsuit that imposes a lien: a judgment lien.

Wondering how to stop a lien on your property? Well, once a court assigns a judgment lien, the homeowner can do the following in order to get rid of it:

  • Pay off the debt or fix whatever it is that made the judge impose the judgment lien
  • Ask the courts (all the way to the supreme court, if possible) to remove the judgment lien
  • File for bankruptcy as a last resort measure

But how a judgment lien is created? Who can put a lien on your property? It’s pretty simple. Say you owe money to someone. That someone sues you in court, and the judge allows them to record a lien on your asset as a way to ensure that you pay off the debt.

Judgment liens are typically contingent to the state where the court is located. That is; if you have a dispute on New Jersey, the judge will not be able to apply the judgment lien on a New York property you have. And a pesky feature of judgment liens is that they become attached to properties you acquire later. In fact, even if you don’t have any asset, the lien gets recorded to your name and whenever you buy any form of real estate, the lien – that was there silently sitting, waiting to come alive - becomes live.

The good news: most of them expire after some time (typically 7 to 10 years), but some can be renewed indefinitely.

Real Estate Tips:

Never enter the home buying process without Title Insurance! Your pockets and your well-being will thank you!

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

The American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers, in short, the AIREA, or the Appraisal Institute as it is known nowadays, is an institute that aims to advance professionalism in the real ...

The gross operating income definition is the total income that a real estate development receives from rentals and services before any costs or expenses are subtracted. Gross operating ...

Amount received by a seller of real property in the form of credit rather than cash. Interest is typically received on the note. If a house is sold for $300,000 of which $100,000 is cash ...

Housing whose rental payments are reduced because of aid granted by the federal, state, or local governments, private enterprises, or individuals. For example, monthly rental payments for ...

Judicially determined minimum selling price for auctioned property. For example, a judge rules that a foreclosed home may be sold for less than $200,000, ...

A life estate right of a widow on the demise of her husband, if he dies intestate, to all his lands and possessions for her and her children's support. If she dissents from his will, the ...

Right of a current stockholder to maintain the percentage ownership in a real estate company by purchasing new shares on a proportionate basis before they are issued to the public. It ...

Amount a manger of real estate receives for his efforts. For example, a manger is to receive 2% of rentals collected as compensation from the landlord to manage the property. If the ...

Proposing or presenting for acceptance a price for a property parcel. Evidence of willingness to enter into a sales agreement. The bid price in a real estate or security ...

Popular Real Estate Questions