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

A leasehold estate that can be determined by the lesser or lessee at any time. ...

Association of the owners of all condominium units in a building that is concerned with managing day-to-day matters in the building complex, including the surrounding and enforcing ...

Something that cannot be taken, returned, or revoked. An example is an irrevocable trust formed by a person giving her real estate to a trust administrator. ...

English architecture. This style has two levels with the second level typically overlaying the first story. The roof is high and the chimney is sculptured. ...

Holder of a real estate license who solicits a prospective buyer of property and receives a commission for his efforts. ...

When an Appraisal is done, its ultimate goal is to define a Market Value for that property. So, in short, market value is the value of a real estate property in a free competitive ...

The accrued interest definition can be explained through the interest collected by a set date on financial obligations that were not paid out. As interest can be of two types, so does ...

The bonus depreciation definition refers to a tax incentive that allows a business to accelerate the depreciation deduction in the year when the asset is purchased and placed into use. The ...

Person leaving from work to spend time in leisure activities. pay in full the balance on a debt either at or before the maturity date. Penalties may be assessed on prepaying a mortgage. ...