Who Can Put A Lien On Your House?

Definition of "Who can put a lien on your house?"

You know what is the truest answer to “who can put a lien on your house”?

Yourself.

We’re not trying to be smart here; it’s the truth. Failing to pay up a debt is what gives way for a lien to be put on an asset like a house, so, a broad answer to who can put a lien on your house is “almost anyone”, but if you pay up everything correctly the answer becomes “no one” – doesn’t that mean that, in the end, the person responsible for putting the lien on the house is yourself.

But yes, we know what you mean by “who can put a lien on your house”. You’re not interested in knowing that the person who puts (assigns) a lien to the house is a judge either; you want some specifics of the most common people that sue and obtain a judgment lien, right?

The IRS is a big lien holder. And their lien is statutory (automatic). No need for your consent or a lawsuit; if you fail to pay a lot of taxes, they can record a lien to recuperate the value owed.

Contractors can put your house on a lien if you don’t pay in full. And here’s a scary thing: maybe you did even pay in full but the contractor skipped one payment to the subcontractors. The subcontractor can put a lien on the house even though you did your part!

Ex-spouses typically put liens on the house as a way to guarantee the money they are owed if you fail to pay for child support and alimony.

And, of course, mortgages. But this one is voluntary; you agreed to have a lien put on your house when you signed the mortgage papers – and they weren’t even fine lines…

Real Estate Advice:

Now that we answered who can put a lien on your house, let us say this: if you’ve passed the “who” and is wondering “how to stop a lien on your property”;  get a real estate lawyer! You won’t stand a chance without it.

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 Questions

Popular Real Estate Glossary Terms

Amount the taxpayer gets back when he or she files the tax return at the end of the reporting year because taxes were overpaid for that year. The tax overpayment equals the tax payments ...

Clause in a percentage lease permitting the landlord to cancel a lease and recover the property if the tenant's sales fall below a specified level. Clause in a lease permitting the ...

Individual with legal privileges and obligations. The legal term is sometimes used for a corporation. ...

The lessee becomes a lessor by subletting the property to a third party. Typically, the sandwich leaseholder does not own or use the property. ...

A judicially approved plan in which a persons obligations are paid over three years. It is an arrangement for the repayment of debts which permits a credit user in severe financial straits ...

Agreement in which the contract price to build something is equal to the total costs incurred plus a predetermined profit. The profit may be based on a percentage of cost (e.g., 20% of ...

The unadjusted basis of assets is the actual price paid for purchasing an asset without any reductions from depreciation deductions. In order words, the unadjusted basis is an asset’s ...

Approving or permitting an action to occur. ...

Aerial photos are photographs taken by cameras mounted in aircraft or satellites. Aerial photos are more commonly used in the industrial Real Estate Market to get a better feel of a ...